Foundation

Serving California’s Grocery Family

California grocers are committed to workers and their families, which is why CGA created an educational foundation to provide scholarship and tuition reimbursement opportunities to member-company employees and their dependents, alongside other educational programs.

The California Grocers Association Educational Foundation’s (CGAEF) work supports our industry’s belief that today’s workforce will shape the future of California’s grocery community. Through CGAEF industry employees pursuing career development opportunities can apply for up to $1,000 annually. Employees and family members, who are seniors in high school or already enrolled in a secondary education program, are eligible for CGAEF Funded, Legacy, Donor, Endowed and Piggyback Partnership scholarships.

Foundation Work in Action

The CGA Educational Foundation’s efforts to build tomorrow’s workforce makes stories like Chad Villanueva’s possible. As an employee of Save Mart Companies in Modesto, Calif., Chad was awarded the Legends of the Industry scholarship to attend Fresno Pacific University. By earning his Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, Villanueva hopes to give back to future generations of employees by developing training programs to sustain the longevity of the grocery industry. 

The stability the job gave me as far as the medical insurance, the pay structure, everything…that’s when my life really started to change.

Chad Villanueva, Save Mart Supermarkets