CINCINNATI -- InnerView Technologies and The Kroger Co. announced the second annual Zero Hero Awards, recognizing students ages 14 to 24 taking action to create Zero Hunger | Zero Waste communities. InnerView offers paths for students to explore volunteer opportunities, capture service activities, develop skills through impact-driven projects, and demonstrate community impact aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste youth program with InnerView builds on the success of the 2019-20 school year. During last year’s pilot, nearly 5,000 students in 41 states committed 37,000 hours of service aligned with SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Of these, 960 students earned recognition as Zero Heroes for achieving the highest level of service. These efforts support Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan, which aims to end hunger in its communities and eliminate waste across the company by 2025. This year, the program endeavors to engage more students in service activities and awards, plus add topic-focused workshops and a collaborative youth advisory panel.
Kroger highlighted this platform and Zero Heroes in its full 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which highlights the company’s improved performance on Zero Hunger | Zero Waste and key sustainability commitments.
Through this program, Kroger invites students – whether they experience school in a virtual or classroom environment – to join interactive workshops with subject matter experts and key partners on a range of topics, including hunger relief, food waste, recycling, climate change, fair trade and more. Each program will include virtual or in-community activities as well as an introduction to purpose-driven careers in these categories.
“In a year like no other, we are eager to engage the nation’s impassioned youth in the social issues that COVID-19 has amplified, like food insecurity. Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste mission has never been more critical and relevant, and InnerView’s platform is one way we invite others to join our journey to creating communities free of hunger and waste,” said Keith Dailey, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs and chief social impact officer. “We applaud all Zero Heroes for being part of the solution, and we look forward to connecting even more students with organizations and programs aligned with our mission.”
“2020 will be a moment in time that students never forget. Every aspect of life has been affected by COVID-19, and there has never been a better personal understanding of the connectedness between people, local, and global challenges,” says Kristine Sturgeon, CEO of InnerView. “The start of this school year has been different; however, the most consistent pattern we have seen is the desire for students to continue to take action for their personal beliefs and passions. We are excited for students to work with industry leaders to engage in issues, activities, and volunteerism that aligns with their impact-driven nature.”
This Zero Hunger | Zero Waste engagement program is open to all students ages 14 to 24 in the United States. Awards for this school year take into consideration community service activity from June 1, 2020 through April 15, 2021. To learn more about the spirit of the Zero Hero award and service requirements, please visit the awards page online at InnerView.org/awards.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,761 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About InnerView Technologies
InnerView is the leading youth social responsibility platform to help students, groups, and schools highlight community service impact, passion for causes, skill development, and connect local effort to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. All college and high school aged students are welcome to join thousands of 14 to 24 year olds who have discovered ways to get involved and developed dynamic visual service resumes through my.InnerView.org. InnerView Technologies is a social impact organization working with students, groups, schools, nonprofits, and committed & compassionate institutions. Learn more at https://InnerView.org
