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Private First Class Zack Reed works at the Clifton Forge store

Kroger Virginia Associates Chosen for National Military Appreciation Drive
Kroger Matches Customer Donations to USO up to $1 Million

 
(Tuesday, May 19, 2015) - Kroger Associates at stores in Clifton Forge and the Lynchburg area are featured in a national campaign to support the USO.

     Zachary Reed, a Deli Clerk, is a member of the Army National Guard.

     Candy Vannoordt, Manager of the Drug & General Merchandise Department at the Forest Kroger, is the mother of a Army First Lieutenant and husband of a retired Army Major.

     They are spotlighted in Kroger’s “Honoring our Heroes” campaign in which Kroger matches customers’ donations to the USO up to $1 million. Their stories are found at honoringourheroes.com/stories. Reed also is featured in Kroger’s advertising inserts in newspapers in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and portions of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee beginning tomorrow.

     â€śWe are inviting our customers to make donations to support our troops and their families, and our stores will match them up to $1 million,” said Allison McGee, spokesperson for Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic region. Customers can donate online at HonoringOurHeroes.com.

     The USO is the leading organization for morale-boosting programs and services for American troops and their families.

     Reed enlisted in the Guard in 2013 and is a Private First Class. “I am a wheeled vehicle mechanic, primarily responsible for performing maintenance and recovery operations. In the service, I have learned that I could accomplish more than I ever realized.”

     Reed joined Kroger in 2011. “We are super proud of Zack,” said Vanessa Ward, manager of the Clifton Forge Kroger. “He is an excellent employee who loves working with customers.”

     Vannoordt joined the Kroger in 2000. “She is a dedicated professional who takes great care of her customers,” said Jeff Morris, manager of the Forest Kroger.

“When my son was deployed to Cuba for a year, we would talk on the phone every month,” Vannoordt recalls. “But we kept in touch even more frequently through Facebook.”

     Her husband was recalled to active duty after 9/11. “By far the most difficult part of the military at home is being alone—and learning that you have to keep everything going (paying bills, attending school functions and running the household day after day),” says Vannoordt.

     USO programs serve members of the military, their families, veterans and wounded and ill troops. “When we support the USO, we’re helping our troops stay connected to their families and transition back to civilian life,” added McGee.

     For more information, visit www.honoroingourheroes.com.
Candy Vannoordt is the wife of Todd Vannoordt and mother of Ryan (left). She works at the Forest (Lynchburg) Kroger store

 
 

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