Safeway Foundation Grants $1 Million to Empower Children and Adults with Disabilities Through Easter Seals

Safeway Foundation Grants $1 Million to Empower Children and Adults with
Disabilities Through Easter Seals

Expands critical autism, early intervention, inclusive child care, employment
and respite services nationwide to support thousands of families

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Safeway executives unveiled the
2009 Safeway Foundation's Empowerment Grant award winners during Easter Seals
annual convention in Washington, D.C., granting $1 million to expand programs
across the country that measurably improve access to services and outcomes for
children and adults living with autism and other disabilities.

Now in its second year, the 2009 Safeway Foundation's Empowerment Grants are
awarded to Easter Seals affiliates across the country whose innovative
programming truly makes a difference in the lives of people with disabilities,
whether through autism services, employment support, inclusive child care,
early intervention, medical rehabilitation or respite. The fact is, while
society has made substantial progress in leveling the playing field, people
with disabilities and their families still face significant barriers when it
comes to living independently, securing employment, accessing quality,
affordable health care, finding opportunities for recreation and playing an
active role in their communities.

"The Safeway Foundation's grant supports the expansion of critical Easter
Seals local programs and helps us reach more families living with autism and
other disabilities who desperately need access to services that can positively
impact their lives," said Gerard P. Mattimore, Chair of the Board of
Directors, Easter Seals. "And more than this, Safeway has a long-standing
commitment to hiring people with disabilities and making their stores
accessible for employees and customers alike."

This year's 2009 Safeway Foundation's Empowerment grantees are:

-- From Safeway's Dominick's Division in the Chicagoland area, Easter
Seals
Joliet for its Family Resource Center;
-- In Safeway's Tom Thumb Division, Easter Seals North Texas for its
Youth
Employment Skills Camp;
-- Out of Safeway's Eastern Division, Easter Seals Greater
Washington-Baltimore Region to expand its Child Development Center and
Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore to grow its Early
Intervention Services;
-- From Safeway's Seattle Division, Easter Seals Northern Rocky
Mountain's
Autism Intervention Training Program in Idaho and Washington; and,
Easter Seals Washington's Safeway Assistive Technology Project and
Safeway Autism Early Intervention Project;
-- Through Safeway's VONS Division, Easter Seals Southern Nevada for its
Vons Transition Program and Easter Seals Southern California for its
WorkFirst Programs for Employment and Social Skills;

-- In Safeway's Northern California Division, Easter Seals Central
California for its Autism Parent Training Program in Monterey; Easter
Seals Bay Area for both its Safeway Autism Initiative and Safeway
Parent
Empowerment Grant; and, Easter Seals Hawaii for its Safeway Teen
Transition Program.

About the Collaboration
This past April, for the fourth year, Safeway dedicated the entire month to
in-store fundraising to support Easter Seals services for people with autism
and other disabilities. During the campaign, Safeway asked customers at all of
its 1,700 Safeway stores in North America -- Vons, Tom Thumb, Dominick's,
Randall's, Genuardi's, Carrs and Pavilions -- if they wanted to contribute a
dollar or more at checkout to support people with disabilities.

"2009 was a record-breaking year for Safeway," added Mattimore. "The
generosity of thousands of Safeway customers and employees is overwhelming. In
just five weeks time, the campaign raised more than $8.8 million for Easter
Seals and helped Safeway exceed the $100 million mark in overall contributions
to our organization, the first of our corporate partners to do so."

About Safeway
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug
retailers in North America. The company operates 1,739 stores in the United
States and Canada and had annual sales of $44.1 billion in 2008. The company's
common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
www.safeway.com.

About Easter Seals
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals
with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other
special needs. For more than 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to
children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love
them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals
creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live,
learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at
www.easterseals.com.

SOURCE Easter Seals

Kristen Barnfield of Easter Seals, +1-312-551-7147,
kbarnfield@easterseals.com