NCJ Number
87631
Journal
Public Relations Review Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (Spring 1982) Pages: 59-64
Date Published
1982
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Super Giant's minority relations program and Drug Fair's information campaign against drug abuse are examples of how businesses can perform services that reduce crime while advancing their own business interests.
Abstract
Super Giant instituted one of the first equal employment opportunity programs years before such programs became law. A Super Giant was opened in the heart of the Washington, D.C., ghetto. The company's first black manager was appointed to manage it, and nearly the entire staff was drawn from the neighborhood. The store was stocked with food that local citizens indicated would be popular. The District of Columbia's first youth rehabilitation program was contacted, and help was offered with training and jobs. A full-time black community coordinator was appointed to work with street organizations. The company's benefit from these programs oriented toward the needs of citizens in the store's community was evidenced during the riot following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., as store employees and citizens united to protect the stores from would-be vandals and looters. A broken window in one of the stores was the only damage. Drug Fair, which was suffering from an image of unprofessionalism in the communities served and combative relations with its pharmacists, undertook a drug abuse education program in conjunction with the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Drug Fair not only helped to advise parents and youth on the dangers of drug abuse but also upgraded its image business. These are examples of how businesses can involve themselves in the needs of the community while serving the central business goal of making a profit.