Through in-store donations and a corporate matching program, Stop & Shop hopes to raise more than $1 million with 100 percent of the dollars collected going to local and regional food banks. In addition, the company will match the first $500 raised by each store. Food for Friends will run through Dec. 3, 2009.
"Providing food to those in need is a cause that directly impacts the communities in which we operate," said Faith Weiner, senior director of public affairs for Stop & Shop. "Food for Friends is just one of the programs Stop & Shop provides to customers looking for creative and inexpensive ways to give back this holiday season."
A 2008 Greater Boston Food Bank Needs Assessment Survey confirmed that food banks continue to struggle to keep up with increased client loads and fewer donations. Forty-seven percent reported they had run out of food as a direct result of the growing demand and 90 percent confirmed an increase in the demand for food since 2007. Nearly 53 percent reported a decrease in donations.
In addition to in-store donations Stop & Shop customers can keep the spirit of giving alive by organizing a holiday food or toy drive; donating unwanted clothes or blankets; or volunteering at a local soup kitchen, Boys & Girls Club or other community service organization.
Customers may also explore additional hunger relief programs funded by Stop & Shop:
- Turkey Express - Stop & Shop will deliver 20,000 turkeys to local hunger relief organizations throughout New England beginning this month. The program will run through Nov. 23, 2009 and will provide turkeys for families serviced by the Greater Boston Food Bank, Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and Long Island Cares to name a few.
- Kids Cafes/Backpack Programs - A recent $1.5 million dollar grant through the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation will fund hunger relief efforts through Kids Cafes and Backpack programs for the next three years. The programs provide free, nutritious meals and snacks to low income children through Boys & Girls Clubs, churches, and public schools. The grant will allow the Brockton Boys & Girls Club, in conjunction with the Greater Boston Food Bank, to open a Kids Cafe in Brockton, Mass., in early November.
To learn more about Stop & Shop's hunger action initiatives visit, www.stopandshop.com.
About the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, headquartered in Quincy, Mass., employs more than 59,000 associates and operates stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company is a member of the US Green Building Council and has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores. Stop & Shop has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores and is also a member of the EPA's Smart Way program.
About the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation
The Stop & Shop - Giant Family Foundation was created to support educational and recreational programs for children across the communities served by the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and Giant Food. The Foundation donated more than $750,000 in 2008/2009 and committed $1.2 million as a result of its fundraising efforts.
SOURCE Stop & Shop Supermarket Company