Stop & Shop’s 31st annual Food for Friends campaign raised more than $2 million for its 12 regional food bank partners to combat summer hunger in the communities it serves, breaking all previous years’ donation records.
The Quincy, Massachusetts-based retailer also teamed up with Knorr, an international brand offering a wide range of bouillons, soups, seasonings, sauces, soupy snacks, dressings and frozen and ready-made meals, to collect food donations in-store for local hunger-relief organizations during the campaign.
Summer can be the hungriest time of year for kids. While during the school year families rely on free or reduced-priced meals at school, they have to buy more food when school is out and children are at home – creating additional financial strain and sometimes forcing them to go hungry. An annual summer donation program, Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends campaign allows customers at the grocer’s more than 400 stores to donate at checkout to support food insecure families across the Northeast.
“We’re humbled by the incredible generosity of our customers who came out to support our Food for Friends program in its 31st year,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop. “The outcome of the month-long campaign not only shows the value of communities coming together, but our steadfast commitment to helping our food bank partners provide nutritious food to families in need.”
Throughout May, customers who shopped in stores and online were asked if they would like to round up their total to the nearest dollar or donate an additional $1, $3 or $5, and Stop & Shop donated 100 percent of the change to regional food banks across its footprint. In addition to the in-store and online components of the campaign, customers were also able to donate non-perishable food items such as Knorr rice and pasta sides, cereals and canned goods at the Food for Friends donation bins that are located at each Stop & Shop store to benefit local hunger-relief organizations.
“Unilever’s Knorr brand believes that wholesome, nutritious food should be accessible and affordable to all,” said Christina DiPietro, Unilever team lead. “We are proud to be Stop & Shop’s first manufacturer partner for their annual Food for Friend’s campaign helping to raise over $2 million to benefit local food banks helping to fight food insecurity in our communities.”
Funds raised during Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends campaign will benefit the following food banks:
- The Greater Boston Food Bank;
- Worcester County Food Bank;
- The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts;
- Rhode Island Community Food Bank;
- Connecticut Food Bank/Foodshare;
- Feeding Westchester;
- Food Bank of the Hudson Valley;
- Food Bank for New York City;
- Community Foodbank of New Jersey;
- Fulfill;
- Island Harvest; and
- Long Island Cares.
For more information on Stop & Shop’s programs to support local communities, visit stopandshop.com/community.
