Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, is proud to announce the 2022 recipients for the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Program. The corporate initiative supports deserving nonprofits in the fight for racial equity and social justice while addressing widespread disparities in education, food insecurity and health care.

Following the recent 103rd birthday of the grant’s namesake, SEG presents the 30 recipients of the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant with funds totaling $300,000. The deserving nonprofit organizations are:

Baptist Health
Bethune-Cookman University
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana
Brighter Bites
Communities In Schools of Jacksonville
Covenant House New Orleans
Feeding Northeast Florida
Feeding Tampa Bay
Grace Medical Home
Hope Haven
Jack & Jill Center
Jacksonville Humane Society
Jones Valley Teaching Farm
Junior Achievement of North Florida
MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation
Schoolyard Roots
Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc.
Society of St. Andrew
Son of a Saint
Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) – New Orleans
Tankproof
Teach For America Jacksonville and Central Florida
The Community Health Center of West Palm Beach
The Sanctuary of Northeast Florida, Inc.
Tree Hill Nature Center
Vision Is Priceless Council, Inc.
Women's Breast & Heart Initiative
Youth Empowerment Project

Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “We wholeheartedly believe our differences are our greatest strengths, and we pride ourselves in being a people-first company that proudly advocates for inclusivity for all. Ms. Romay serves as an inspiration to our associates and customers with her unwavering spirit and dedication in the face of adversity, and her life serves as a testament to the power of challenging the inequities faced by many individuals, families and communities. Today and every day, we wish to express our deep gratitude to Ms. Romay, and we hope the legacy of this grant supports these deserving organizations and others in empowering and amplifying the voices of individuals of all backgrounds as we work together to create meaningful positive change in the communities we serve.”

SEG takes pride in fostering a culture of belonging for associates, customers and communities throughout its five-state footprint. The mission of the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Program is to provide essential funding to nonprofits that share the grocer’s commitment to inclusivity and strive to empower authenticity and eliminate long-standing barriers.

Since the grant’s inception in 2020, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation have awarded $685,000 in funding to 63 deserving community organizations that take meaningful action to help combat social injustice by bridging the gap of inequities experienced by underrepresented populations throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

More About the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Namesake

The namesake for the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Program is 103-year-old Winn-Dixie associate Romay Davis. During a time when women and people of color faced restricted rights, Ms. Romay consistently broke barriers by challenging society’s limited beliefs with unfathomable accomplishments, such as being a WWII Private First-Class veteran, NYU multi-degree scholar, New York fashion designer and model, Taekwondo Black Belt, community advocate and much more. At the young age of 80, Ms. Romay rejoined the workforce as a Winn-Dixie associate. After two decades of working for the grocer, Winn-Dixie’s parent company, Southeastern Grocers, honored Ms. Romay as the namesake of a program that supports the fight for racial equity and social justice. Ms. Romay’s life is an inspiration to all and her incredible legacy will live on through the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant.