Types of Assistance

A designated committee of Albertsons Companies associates will evaluate colleague applications for assistance for Qualified Relief (including presidentially declared disasters and catastrophic events) as well as Emergency Personal Hardship Assistance (including personal loss and health care expenses). Below are the options available for application under the We Care program. Please note that any requests outside of these options are not eligible for We Care grant consideration:

• Home Catastrophe / Natural Disaster: Home, car, and property repairs due to declared Natural Disasters and single-home events like fires, floods, tornadoes, and gas explosions not covered by insurance
• Medical: Unexpected medical expenses not covered by insurance including necessary surgeries, treatments, or hospital stays
• Funerals: Funeral expenses (excluding travel) resulting in financial hardship due to the death of an Associate, household family member, or other immediate family member
• Domestic Violence and Abuse: Relocation expenses resulting from domestic violence or abuse
• Homelessness and Eviction: Immediate assistance due to homelessness or facing an eviction due to an unexpected rent increase or other unexpected events

Types of Support

Assistance may be provided to meet the following expenses:

• Rent / mortgage payment
• Clothing
• Food (excluding tobacco and alcohol)
• Medical bills / prescriptions not covered by insurance
• Utilities
• Other needs as approved by the Committee

Applications may be declined where the hardship is caused by an associate’s action or inaction including:

• Credit card debt
• Bankruptcy
• Gambling debt
• Divorce

Our team is committed to providing support to alleviate your financial stress, in addition to the assistance provided through the We Care grant. We encourage you to familiarize with Financial Guidance for Tough Economic Times and Financial Wellness Resource Guide for additional financial counselling resources that may assist you in overcoming your financial challenges. We also encourage you to explore our Employee Stability Program (ESP) — a fully confidential, no-cost resource designed to support associates facing challenges such as housing instability or other urgent needs. The program offers access to a variety of services to help you navigate difficult times with confidence.

To seek assistance, please fill out the form at the following link: • https://wellspringfs.formstack.com/forms/esp_request

We hope that these resources prove beneficial to you, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to anjana.bhattarai@albertsons.com.

Grant Amounts

Grant amounts vary depending on the category of need. For medical expenses and funerals, grants can be awarded up to $2,500. For domestic violence or abuse, support of up to $1,000—or Visa gift cards—may be available. Assistance for homelessness or eviction also includes up to $1,000 or Visa gift cards. In the case of natural disasters, grants can be awarded up to $2,500

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration of a grant, the associate must be in good standing and have worked at least 32 hours in the last 60 days or local minimum hours based on your union contract, whichever is higher,  (with limited exceptions as determined by the committee) or on a qualified leave.  Except in extreme cases, associates on Last and Final Warning or a Performance Action Plan are not considered “in good standing”.

Applications may also be completed on behalf of the family of a deceased associate.

Applicants must be employed by Albertsons Companies at the time the check is issued to be eligible.

Definitions

Family Member: A relative or domestic partner who lives in the same household (as the primary domicile) as the associate with exceptions as needed for grandparents and grandchildren.

Unexpected Event: An unforeseen occurrence that could not have been predicted.

Financial Hardship: A situation where an associate is unable to meet your essential financial obligations due to unexpected expenses.

This funding is remanded to our U.S. associates only and associates may only apply once a year (except in very rare cases). We will consider only one application per household regarding the same personal hardship or natural disaster.

Process of Application

Use the link above to create an account and an application for funds. All applications will be validated by the local HR team and considered by the Committee. Applications will not be considered without the following detailed documentation, which may include:

• Recent paystubs for all working adults in the household
• Estimates / Invoices
• Medical statement from a certified professional (if appropriate)
• A Statement of Truth from the associate

A majority vote by the Committee is required for any grant to be awarded.

After receipt of the application, the associate will be notified as soon as possible about the We Care committee’s decision if the request for funding has been granted or declined.  Once an application is approved, the check could take up to 3 weeks to receive.

TIP:  We recommend providing as much clear, detailed information and documentation as possible in your application. The more information provided, the stronger the application and the faster we are able to process.