• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, August 6, 2007

For a second year, General Mills has launched a program designed to link its Hamburger Helper brand to community involvement in the consumer's mind.

The "My Hometown Helper" program was initiated last year, when it gave nearly $133,000 in grants to 33 towns and cities to install lights for a football field, clean up a local river and purchase ambulance equipment.

A Web site, myhometownhelper.com, is filled with the word "help" that plays off the animated "hand" logo in the corner: "A little help with dinner. A little help in your town."

In a press release issued last week, General Mills encouraged communities looking for "a helping hand" to submit entries online by Sept. 30. Applicants are asked to write a short essay describing how the grant would help with a community project. Awards range from $500 to $15,000.

In an effort to go viral, the company encourages applicants to share their grant entry project pages with "friends, neighbors and family, who can post comments online showing support for the project. Funds are awarded based on the merit of the project, including its impact on--and support within--the community.

A General Mills spokesperson said the program is being supported with radio ads and "other elements."

"There are many towns and cities across the country looking to improve their communities, whether it's revamping the town library or beautifying the streets," said Hyun Mee Graves, marketing manager for Hamburger Helper, in the release. "We're committed to helping these communities and want to find those that need 'a hand' the most."

General Mills will award the grants by Nov. 15, when the results will be posted online.

Meanwhile, the company is enjoying press coverage where it counts--in small communities such as Franklin, Penn., whose newspaper ran a feature story in July about the local Rotarians renovating a theater. "The new tables will be purchased with memorial funds," the reporter wrote, "and the chairs will be paid for by a grant from Hamburger Helper. McConnell secured a grant from the company's My Hometown Helper program."