- St. Johns Kroger is celebrating it's 50th year being at the location.
- Many neighbors say the store has been a place where they feel at home and connected to community.
- Video shows the store giving back to community by awarding The Basic Needs Center with a $3,000 check to continue their work.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"I couldn't be prouder to be a part of the same community that you all are," said St. Johns Kroger Store manager Michael Coleman.
I'm your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, here in St. Johns, where one store is celebrating a big milestone and giving back to the community at the same time.
"It's just a very close-knit community where everybody knows everybody and everybody cares about everybody," said Coleman.
For 50 years, this St. Johns Kroger has been providing more than just groceries to our neighbors... they provide hope.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/72e8ada/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1316x738+0+0/resize/1280x718!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F85%2F9e%2Fefa1c47b4f44b5d94710e64f5f3b%2Fscreenshot-2024-06-21-at-4-33-57-pm.png)
"Kroger has been a vital partner of ours since we started about 15 years ago," said McCoy.
![Tracie Davis' Mural inside of Kroger](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3ec3a94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3456x1948+0+0/resize/1280x721!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3e%2Feb%2Fea4c17264eb5acb74c95858de55c%2Fscreenshot-2024-06-21-at-4-33-28-pm.png)
Russ McCoy manages The Basic Needs Center in St. Johns, a non-profit that helps feed more than 250 people a month with Kroger's help. As part of Kroger's 50th-year celebration, they shared the love by celebrating the center's work.
"I couldn't be prouder to be a part of the same community that you all are... so we would like to make a donation to you in the amount of $3,000 so you can continue doing everything you do for St. Johns," said Coleman.
Watch the check presentation to The Basic Needs Center below:
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7b8c6b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1318x740+0+0/resize/1280x719!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8d%2F6f%2Fe0b362134feb8502f0e92e1a80d8%2Fscreenshot-2024-06-21-at-4-33-01-pm.png)
That donation, McCoy says, will help to further their mission.
"The gift of $3,000 that they're giving us today... it won't last long, but it will be a great, great help as an aid that we have for our clients here," said McCoy.
St. Johns Kroger says they will continue to collaborate with organizations like The Basic Needs Center to care for every neighbor that needs help.
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