GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Meijer announced today that it is planning to hire 100 Grand Rapids youth and young adults as part of the GRow 1000 summer internship program. The retailer will also be donating $200,000 to the program to fund 100 additional paid internships at local nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

“We know that building future leaders in our communities begins today,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. “Hands-on work experience can make a big impact on a young person’s career path and we are pleased to be able to offer that opportunity to 200 Grand Rapids young people this summer whether their interests lie in retail or elsewhere.”

The city of Grand Rapids launched the GRow 1000 program in the summer of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of addressing racial and economic disparities and giving young people the opportunity to get paid work experience. The program asks local business and community leaders to hire young adults, ages 15-24, for the summer.

In 2020, Meijer hired 50 participants and trained them in the fundamentals of retail, as well as in professional development skills like resume writing.

“We’re showing the community that we care about them and that we aren’t forgetting anybody,” said Meijer Team Leader Rufeeshia Black, who served as a mentor in 2020 to the student participants in her store. “We want them to be part of the store. They are what makes this company better.”

In the program’s first year, Meijer also funded the salaries of 50 additional interns at local nonprofits that could not afford to pay the participants for their work, but that offered significant hands-on learning opportunities. This year’s donation will double the number of internships funded by the retailer.

Watch this video to see first-hand what young people participating in the GRow 1000 internship at Meijer have to say about the program.

The GRow 1000 program offers Grand Rapids young people, ages 15 to 24, the opportunity to gain valuable work experience from a 6-week, 120-hour paid summer internship. For more details on how to sign up as a participant or employer in the program, please click here.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.