LISLE, IL
Eckrich has partnered with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola to surprise veteran Marine Corps Corporal Chloe Mondesir with one year of free groceries from Albertsons.
Mondesir was under the impression that she would be meeting Eckrich at Albertsons to receive race tickets to an event at Auto Club Speedway. She was then surprised when Almirola arrived in his Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Eckrich Ford with a giant gift card for free groceries for one year, on behalf of Eckrich. Almirola also presented Mondesir with VIP tickets for the race.
“I love seeing the look on people’s faces when we have the opportunity to give them the ultimate ‘thank you,’” said Almirola. “Eckrich goes above and beyond to help military families in ways that families so desperately need. Buying groceries is an expense that never goes away. Free groceries at Albertsons for the next year will hopefully ease Chloe’s daily stresses and bring her the comfort that she’s earned and deserves.”
According to a press release, Mondesir enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 2004 and was based at Camp Geiger, N.C. and in Okinawa, Japan. She served on a combat tour in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After an honorable discharge in 2008, she moved back to Texas and gave birth to a daughter.
In 2012, the single-mother moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream of becoming an actress. Through Operation Homefront, Mondesir was presented with a mortgage-free home through its Homes on the Homefront program and enrolled in a local college to study theatre.
“I was not expecting any of this, it caught me by complete surprise,” Mondesir said. “One year of free groceries will be such a big help for me and my daughter. I really can’t put into words how much their generosity means to me, but I’ll certainly be an Eckrich fan for life!”
This surprise is part of Eckrich’s ongoing partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit which provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Over the past three years, Eckrich has donated more than $750,000 to the organization and will surpass $1 million in donations by the end of 2015.
