Serving community, on and off the job
May 5, 2026
Every day, team members across our business help bring our commitment to helping Canadians Live Life Well to life in their communities, and Sarah Croft is one of them.
As Department Manager of Health and Wellness at Superstore in Kingston, Nova Scotia, Sarah has been with Loblaw since 1999, beginning as a cashier and building her career across multiple departments over the years.
Her commitment to service extends beyond her role in-store through her volunteer work as a Ground Searcher with Valley Search and Rescue in Port Williams, Nova Scotia. “Sarah is dedicated to providing service and care for others,” says Glenda Hubley, Store Manager, Kingston Superstore. “We support her volunteering, and when she needs to step away for a call-out, we make sure she has the flexibility to do that.”
For nearly four years, Sarah has volunteered her time to help locate lost or missing people, often in remote or challenging environments. Her team is trained to safely search for people, provide medical assistance, and support evacuations when needed. In recent years, that work expanded to include responses to floods, forest fires, and other civil emergencies.
Last year alone, Sarah contributed more than 200 volunteer hours.
She first joined Valley Search and Rescue alongside her husband after they decided they wanted to give back in a meaningful way together. “We’re passionate about the outdoors,” Sarah shares. “We love hiking, camping, kayaking and backpacking, and we felt those skills could be useful in helping others.”
What keeps her going is not the pursuit of recognition, but something deeper.
“Search and rescue isn’t the kind of work you do because it always feels good,” she explains. “A lot of the time, it doesn’t. What keeps you showing up is a sense of purpose and loyalty to your team.”
That sense of purpose was especially evident during one of her most memorable deployments.
In February 2024, Sarah’s team was called to Sydney, NS, after severe winter storms brought nearly 150 centimetres of snow to Cape Breton and surrounding communities. For four long days, the team worked from early morning until night, clearing access routes to homes, conducting wellness checks, and delivering food and essential supplies.
Her work in search and rescue has strengthened her appreciation for the importance of community.
“You witness people at their most vulnerable - lost, injured, scared, or facing the consequences of poor decisions,” she says. “But you also see complete strangers step up to help without hesitation. It reminds you that we’re stronger together.”
She applies that same mindset to her role at Superstore. “Although the roles are very different, both are about helping people and supporting my community,” she says.
We recognize that investing in people who give back helps strengthen entire communities.
“I’m immensely proud to receive the grant,” Sarah says. “There’s pride in the acknowledgment of what I do, and this support makes a real difference for our team.”
Sarah’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of volunteers and how their time, compassion, and commitment help keep our communities safe, supported, and connected.
