Genuardi Family Foundation

Who We Are In 2001, the Genuardi Family Foundation was established after the sale of the family’s supermarket business, as a means of giving back to the communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania that supported Genuardi Family Markets. Our nine Founding Board Members, all third generation Genuardi family members, continue the legacy of their parents and grandparents in their commitment to the ideals of selfless giving, passed through generations of a unique Italian-American family. Fourth generation Genuardi family members continue the tradition through their leadership roles within the Foundation. What We Do The mission of the Genuardi Family Foundation is to support the development of healthy individuals, families, and communities by promoting self-sufficiency, hard work, and generosity with a commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities. The Foundation supports nonprofit providers of direct services whose work addresses food access and security, homelessness prevention and housing, and job training and placement, whose work aligns with our core values: - Family: We believe that successful families are the pillar of a strong society. - Community: We seek to encourage others to give of themselves for the benefit of their communities. - Hard Work: We believe that hard work plays a pivotal role in building self-worth and self-sufficiency, in strengthening individuals and families, and in fostering thriving communities. - Generosity: We carry on a cherished family legacy of giving to others. - Accessibility and Responsiveness: We strive to conduct our business with accessibility and responsiveness to our grantees, our partners, and the community. - Humility: We seek to honor the work and legacy of the Genuardi family by learning from the communities that we serve, by being thoughtful and strategic in all that we do, and by conducting ourselves with modesty and integrity. The Foundation looks to partner with nonprofit organizations that join us in envisioning a future where all people have an equitable opportunity to thrive and contribute to the well-being of our region. We look to fund programs that improve access to basic services for the most vulnerable in our communities, as well as organizations that help create sustainable change that will break cycles of poverty, vulnerability, and need, while building toward a better future for all people. History The Genuardi Family Foundation has its roots in a classic American story of immigration and strong work ethic. In the early years of the 20th century, two young Italian immigrants met and married in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Gaspare and Josephine Genuardi had a large and growing family to support. Gaspare raised fresh vegetables and sold them, door-to-door, first from a horse and wagon, and later, from a truck. As their children grew, they helped with the family business and were instilled with their parents’ values of hard work and dedication to others. Many years later, five of their sons—there were nine children in all—assumed responsibility for the business. They were known as the Genuardi Brothers, and they opened their first supermarket in the Norristown area. Their business continued to grow, and they opened additional stores in surrounding towns. For 40 years, they expanded the Genuardi supermarket chain in three counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In 1990, the Genuardi Brothers sold their business to nine of their children: Charles, Skip, Tom Jr., Anthony, Larry, Joe Jr., David, Michael, and Jim. These nine first cousins guided Genuardi Family Markets through a decade of growth, surpassing the dreams of their parents and grandparents. Genuardi Family Markets became one of the top supermarket retailers in the Delaware Valley, expanding into three states and employing 7,000 people. During this time, the family business was expanded on the solid bedrock of values passed down from one generation to the next. In 2001, the Genuardi family sold Genuardi Family Markets to Safeway, Inc., one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S. At that time, the Genuardi Family Foundation was established, with the express mission of giving back to the communities which had supported the Genuardi family business for some 80 years. The Genuardi Brothers, left to right: Frank, Vincent (Jim), Charles, Joseph and Dominic (Tom) Genuardi