For the Charitable Grand Foundation, It Was an Especially Busy Year

An employee leaves his mark on the Grand “Love Fridge.”

By Allyssa Baird, YSN

While BrandSource member Grand Appliance & TV continues to serve communities across four states with the latest and greatest in home goods, its charitable arm, the Grand Foundation, has been exceptionally busy assisting those without the means to shop its stores.

See: Grand Appliance Brings Communities Comfort Amid COVID Crisis

The Foundation is run by Meagan Reckling Gauri, daughter of company president Mark Reckling, who last year established a “12 Months of Giving” campaign to aid local charities. From kids to veterans to the infirm, you name it and Grand Appliance has donated time and money to help.

Grand Appliance’s Meagan Reckling Gauri (right) and friend participate in the ADL Midwest’s “Walk/Run Against Hate.”

Among its more recent endeavors, the Foundation supported the Midwest chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a charitable organization that works to fight bigotry, discrimination and hate. It was just over a year ago, in November 2019, that Mark received the national ADL’s American Heritage Award for “helping to build a just and enlightened society.” This past October the Recklings re-earned the honor by sponsoring a team for the Midwest chapter’s virtual “Walk/Run Against Hate,” and encouraged all Grand employees to participate. 

Also in October, the company created its very own “Love Fridge.” Inspired by the Love Fridge Chicago initiative, which places community refrigerators across the city for donors to fill with food, Meagan decided to bring the concept to Lake County, Ill. The Foundation’s Love Fridge was hand painted by the winner of an employee design contest, and also featured imagery by the granddaughter of a recently passed staffer known for kindness and generosity.

This month the Foundation will sponsor 25 kids in a holiday gift drive organized by Chicago Survivors, which provides services to the families of homicide victims. Grand is once again reaching out to its employees, this time to donate fun and practical gifts to children who have lost a loved one to violence.

These are just a handful of the Grand Foundation’s endeavors this year, and with no sign of a letup in need, Meagan is already accepting funding applications for the 2021 season. Fortunately, Grand Appliance will continue to be there for its communities with a heart as big as the name on the stores.

BrandSource, a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc., is a nationwide buying group for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.

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