Giant Food Stores is empowering customers to support their favorite local nonprofit while helping the environment at the same time, thanks to its new Bags 4 My Cause program.

Each time a customer purchases a Bags 4 My Cause reusable shopping bag with a giving tag, they’ll have the power to direct a $1 donation to a local nonprofit of their choice.

If the customer does not direct the donation within seven days, it will automatically be donated to a local nonprofit chosen by the store where it was sold. Bags 4 My Cause shopping bags retail for $2.50 and are available at various registers and at the reusable bag rack in each store.

To designate their $1 donation, shoppers must first remove the scratch-off layer on the giving tag to reveal the unique identifier code. At www.mygmcause.com, they can enter their unique identifier code and select the nonprofit they would like to receive a $1 donation.

GIANT has pre-populated the list with more than 3,500 nonprofit organizations located in communities served by its store locations.

Participating nonprofits include those that support hunger relief, children’s health and well-being and the Armed Forces.

Nonprofit organizations interested in participating in the Bags 4 My Cause program can submit their request at https://giant.bags4mycause.com or https://martins.bags4mycause.com.

Customers can see the impact the Bags 4 My Cause program is having on local communities and the environment by visiting https://giant.bags4mycause.com or https://martins.bags4mycause.com to track the number of organizations supported, donations to date and the number of shopping bags saved through the use of a reusable bag.