Harris Teeter donated more than $9.1 million to various nonprofit organizations in its marketing areas as well as $3.7 million pounds of food to its Feeding America partner agencies in 2012, a news release said.

Harris Teeter supports nonprofit organizations in its communities and established its corporate giving programs around certain core tenets: feeding the hungry, sponsoring youth sports organizations, supporting United Way, and assisting in disaster relief efforts, the release said. Harris Teeter also supports schools through its program called Together in Education.

Highlights from Harris Teeter's 2012 community programs include:

n More than $2 million to nonprofit organizations through Community Cares Associate Giving Campaign

n More than $1.6 million to schools through Together in Education

n More than $800,000 to Wounded Warrior Project and USO

n More than $800,000 to food bank partner agencies through a combination of events, donation card campaigns and in-kind gifts

n More than $750,000 raised by the Salvation Army during its annual Kettle Campaign in front of Harris Teeter stores

Harris Teeter thanked its generous shoppers and vendors for support of its giving programs and looks forward to growing relationships with its nonprofit partners in 2013, a release said.

Harris Teeter Inc., with headquarters in Matthews, is the 24th largest supermarket in the United States.

The regional grocery chain has 25,000 employees and operates stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia.