ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. announced two new partnerships this month aimed at replenishing food pantries in the Hudson Valley.
The grocery chain partnered with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York for its annual Feeding Our Neighbors campaign. From Jan. 21 through Feb. 3, 27 ShopRite stores in Westchester County and the mid-Hudson region will collect donations at checkout for Catholic Charities. Shoppers can make monetary donations or donate nonperishable food.
“The donations come at a time when food pantries are struggling to keep their shelves stocked and clients fed,” said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. “Both the food collected and the funds raised will go a long way in helping local food pantries and soup kitchens replenish their inventory and feed our hungry neighbors. Working together, we”™re able to make a much-needed difference in our communities.”
ShopRite will also lend support to Cornell Cooperative Extension and Eat Smart New York”™s Nourish Your Neighbor program, an educational food drive designed to encourage healthier food donations to food pantries. The initiative provides shoppers with food donation bags and healthy shopping lists, providing assistance in selecting nutritious options to donate. ShopRite stores will offer prepackaged shopping bags filled with healthy foods that customers can purchase to support the food drive.
“There is a definite gap in food pantry inventory. Creating a systemwide change for food donations is a tall order,” said Stefanie Hubert, project director of Eat Smart New York Hudson Valley. “However, with the support and collaboration of ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc., our neighbors will have the ability to obtain healthier foods that otherwise may not be available to them.”
The 2018 campaign kicked off at ShopRite of Greenway Plaza in Yonkers on Jan. 19.
“We are honored to partner with Catholic Charites, Eat Smart New York Hudson Valley and Cornell Cooperative Extension on several healthy food drive events,” said Tom Urtz, vice president of operations at ShopRite Supermarkets. “Food insecurity continues to be a major issue within the communities we serve, and our ShopRite family is proud to do our part to help our neighbors in need.”
