FIREHOUSE SUBS PUBLIC SAFETY FOUNDATION® SURPASSES $31 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation® is pleased to announce that more than $1.9 million in equipment and resources will be awarded to 106 first responder and public safety organizations in January of 2018. These grant awards are made possible thanks to donor contributions and a charitable sales promotion ensuring a portion of every purchase at Firehouse Subs restaurants supports the nonprofit’s life-saving mission, which will extend through the 2018 fiscal year.
“Over the past year, the campaign was responsible for helping us award 51 additional grants totaling more than $1 million that would not have been possible without this added layer of support,” said Robin Sorensen, co-founder of Firehouse Subs and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. “The relationship between our for-profit business and nonprofit is truly remarkable – one really couldn’t exist without the other. While we’re extremely proud of Firehouse Subs and its accomplishments, having the charitable arm is giving us such a higher sense of purpose. Without it, many first responders might still be operating with outdated equipment, tools in various states of disrepair or no equipment at all.”
As budget cuts continue across the country, especially at the local level, many first responders are finding it more difficult to acquire funds needed to purchase tools and equipment required to provide safe and efficient services to their community. The Foundation – created by Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, former firefighters familiar with this everyday battle – bridges the funding gap between budget cuts and the equipment first responders need. Additionally, the Firehouse Subs business model reflects the founders’ commitment to this objective, ensuring more departments receive proper equipment through the availability of Foundation grants.
In 2017 alone, generous contributions and a successful charitable sales campaign enabled the Foundation to award more than $6.9 million across the nation. With the extension of the campaign, along with continued brand growth, Firehouse Subs and the Foundation hope to make a larger impact this year.
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when Firehouse Subs Founders, Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen traveled to Mississippi where they provided food to first responders and survivors. As they traveled back to Florida, they knew they could do more and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was born with the mission of providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has granted more than $31 million to hometown heroes in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.
Grant allocations are made possible thanks to the overwhelming support of Firehouse Subs restaurants and generous donors. Each restaurant recycles leftover, five-gallon buckets, available to guests for a $2 donation to the Foundation. Donation canisters on register counters collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar. The Foundation is also the beneficiary of a Charitable Sales Promotion where Firehouse of America (FOA) will donate to the Foundation a sum equivalent to 0.13% of all gross sales with a minimum donation of $1 million through December 31, 2018. To donate online and support Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, visit FirehouseSubsFoundation.org.
