COVELLI CARES – A program to formalize Covelli Enterprises’ long history of community giving

It’s always been the Covelli way to give back. Since Covelli Enterprises began in 1959, supporting the local community has always been a part of its culture. In 2017, the company decided to take that giving to a new level by giving it name, and Covelli Cares was born.

Through Covelli Cares, Covelli Enterprises is able to support local charities in the neighborhoods we serve. This program is nothing different for our organization, which gives $32 million annually to charitable causes. It’s simply putting a name to the giving that’s been going on since the company’s founding.

The Covelli Cares program encompasses all of Covelli Enterprises’ community giving including our annual campaigns to raise funds for causes like autism and breast cancer, our Community Breadbox collection canisters to raise funds for community partners, our Day-End Dough-Nation program through which we donate all leftover breads and bakery products to hunger relief agencies, in-kind donations, charitable event sponsorships, and even volunteerism.

Covelli Cares is Covelli Enterprises’ promise to strengthen and improve lives in the communities it serves, whether through community donations, corporate giving, fundraising promotions, partnerships with local non-profit organizations, or through local volunteer activities. 100% of all donations to Covelli Cares will benefit non-profit partners in the communities Covelli Enterprises serves.

“Covelli Cares is nothing new. Our company’s culture has always been centered on giving back. This program will simply enhance our ability to encourage our employees and customers to get involved and celebrate the ways that we are continuing the mission in our communities,” said Sam Covelli, CEO of Covelli Enterprises.”

In 2018, the Covelli organization piloted raising general funds for Covelli Cares in various markets where we operate Panera Bread restaurants. These general funds allow Covelli Enterprises to react quickly in response to both national and local tragedies. For example, in late 2017, general funds from Covelli Cares were used to support victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, and in early 2018, funds were used to support the families of the Westerville, Ohio police officers who were killed in the line of duty. These are just a few examples of ways in which Covelli Cares is making an impact in our communities.

Covelli Enterprises has a long history of philanthropy. Throughout its existence, the company has donated millions of dollars to local charitable organizations including urban leagues, scholarship funds, hospitals, athletic organizations, animal rights groups, group fighting to end homelessness and hunger, among countless others. Since 2010, Covelli has donated more than $3 million to breast cancer causes, $1.4 million to autism charities, and $1.2 million to veterans and military organizations.

In 2017, Sam Covelli and his wife Caryn, donated $2 million to the Cleveland Clinic’s state-of-the-art Taussig Cancer Center. The same year, Covelli donated $1 million to Youngstown State University Athletics, a gift that will be used to maintain the athletic facilities that make up the soon-to-be-named Covelli Sports Complex including the soccer field, track and field facilities, and women’s softball field.

Covelli recently celebrated more than 30 years as the largest local contributor to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, with a $16,000 dollar annual donation. In 2017, however, Covelli involved all of his markets in raising funds for the cause, donating more than $60,000 nationally to provide toys for children in need. Every August the company hosts the Panerathon 10K/2 Mile walk/run in Youngstown, OH, which has hosted nearly 50,000 people and raised $2 million for the Joanie Abdu Breast Comprehensive Breast Care Center at St. Elizabeth Health Center over the past eight years.

In 2012, Covelli made the largest donation in history to The Ohio State University Athletics to assist in funding the construction of a multi-sport arena, Covelli Arena. The $10 million dollar gift will provide critical amenities for student-athletes in men’s and women’s volleyball, gymnastics, fencing and wrestling, including new locker rooms, offices, training and treatment rooms, and construction began in mid-2017.

Covelli Enterprises supports many additional non-profits in the communities where it operates restaurants including Salvation Army, Disabled American Veterans, Animal Welfare League, American Heart Association, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The James Cancer Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital and more. For his commitment to the community, Covelli was recognized with the 2012 Salvation Army’s Distinguished Community Service Award as well as the American Red Cross Spirit of the Mahoning Valley Award, and he was named 2013 Corporate Philanthropist of the Year in the Mahoning Valley. In 2014, Cleveland Clinic nominated Covelli Enterprises for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cleveland National Philanthropy Day Corporate Leadership Award. In 2015, the company received Business First’s Corporate Caring Award for its support of Central Ohio hunger relief agencies. In 2018, Sam Covelli was awarded the Tribune Chronicle and Trumbull 100’s Community Star Award for his philanthropy throughout the Mahoning Valley where the company is headquartered.

“We give back because it’s the right thing to do,” said Sam Covelli. “It’s a privilege to be able to help others, so that’s what we are going to continue doing.”

Covelli Cares is the program that will allow Covelli Enterprises to do just that.