Stop & Shop Customers Raise $1.8 Million With ‘Foods For Friends’ Yearly Program

Stop & Shop customers throughout the Northeast were successful in raising $1.8 million dollars toward the fight against hunger this year. The money was collected as part of the annual Food for Friends initiative, now in its 23rd year.

In a press release issued today, Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC announced that 100 percent of the funds raised will benefit local hunger relief organizations across the northeastern part of the United States.

The grocery chain’s Food for Friends program utilized several different approaches in an effort to assist customers in raising such a substantial amount of donations.

Along with the ability to donate money directly at the store’s registers, customers were given the option to purchase Charity Boxes filled with Stop & Shop brand items for delivery to local food pantry locations. Throughout 2012, over 75,000 of these boxes were donated.

Joining the effort, Kraft and Unilever contributed several hundred thousand coupon booklets as a reward to customers who donated. In addition, Stop & Shop contributed a company match of $500 for each store.

Joe Kelley, president of Stop & Shop’s New England division, spoke of the program’s success:

“As a supermarket, fighting food insecurity is one of our core charitable focuses and the Food for Friends program is an easy way to raise the issue more broadly with our customers and really work as partners to give back. We are so proud of our customers and so grateful for their help in our mission to help fight hunger in our communities.”

Today’s press release states that 60 percent of the $1.8 million raised will be donated to the local hunger relief agency or food pantry adopted by each store. The remaining 40 percent will be donated to 14 regional food banks.

What do you think about Stop & Shop customers raising $1.8 million for hunger relief?