“Our store is a much-needed cornerstone of the neighborhood, so every person who assisted us in our efforts to reopen as quickly as possible made a huge difference in the lives of our associates and neighbors.”

On Monday, June 3, the Louisville Division’s store 327 in West Louisville, Kentucky, was vandalized where otherwise peaceful protests were taking place.

While the extent of the damage was not fully understood until morning, windows had been broken, the side door had been pried open and several items had been taken from the store. The store leadership determined that this incident would not sway our commitment to Feed the Human Spirit of our community during a pivotal moment.

Work quickly started to clean up and re-establish a safe and in-stock store. And the work wasn’t just done by associates in that store. Store managers from across our region showed up to help along with local customers who eagerly filed into the parking lot to offer their support. Many volunteered to help restock the shelves, clean the parking lot and re-secure the windows with plywood. A woman and three young men were removing broken glass before store leadership had even arrived that morning.

The outpouring of support didn’t stop there. A local church organization and volunteers purchased grocery items from the store and filled bags full of meal options as a makeshift food pantry for those in need while the store was closed. They also purchased a grill and offered hot meals, including ribs.

I am so proud and thankful for the tremendous support we received from our Kroger Family and our Russell neighbors. Our store is a much-needed cornerstone of the neighborhood, so every person who assisted us in our efforts to reopen as quickly as possible made a huge difference in the lives of our associates and neighbors. We cannot thank the men, women, and young people enough who gave their time to help clean our parking lot and who supported the community while our store was closed through generous food distributions. The Russell Kroger is truly Our Community Kroger,” said Duy Le, assistant store leader.

In under 24 hours, the store had reopened. That’s all thanks to the incredible efforts of the community who came together and uplifted their store and each other.

“We will continue to do our part to bring our community together, as an employer, grocery provider and community partner,” said Erin Grant, corporate affairs manager, Louisville Division. “We hope that the protests unfolding in Louisville and across the nation will peacefully shine a light on injustice.”