Uncasville Stop & Shop Raises $9,480

The Stop & Shop store in Montville, at 2020 Norwich-New London turnpike, was able to raise a total of $9,480 dollars for the program. The much needed money will be donated to Montville Senior & Social Services.

Stop & Shop customers and partners set the bar high once again by donating nearly $2 million through the company’s 22nd annual Food for Friends program. Stop & Shop will donate 100 percent of the funds to regional food banks and local pantries across the Northeast as part of the company’s hunger relief efforts.

The storewide effort kicked-off on Oct. 28 and ran through Dec. 11, 2011. The program was comprised of several different elements:

Customers could contribute through in-store donations of $1, $3 or $5 at checkout registers.

“Charity boxes” filled with Stop & Shop Own Brands items were sold in New England area stores. Proceeds were donated to the program and the boxes were donated directly to a local food pantry each store adopts.

“Trimmings bags” filled with Stop & Shop Own Brands items were sold in New York Metro area stores. Proceeds were donated to the program and the bags were donated directly to Island Harvest, a Long Island food bank.

Several food and beverage manufacturers contributed donations.

Stop & Shop contributed a company match of $500 per store.

In total, the program raised approximately $2 million, all of which will be used to fight hunger in local communities. Sixty percent is donated to a local hunger relief agency or food pantry each store adopts; forty percent is donated to regional food banks.

“Food for Friends is an easy way for communities to come together and give food security to those who wouldn’t otherwise have it,” said Mark McGowan, president of Stop & Shop’s New England division.

“We are proud to have partnered with our customers and help provide more than 15 million meals to families across the Northeast this winter.”

In total, hundreds of hunger relief agencies and across the Northeast benefited from the donation, including 14 regional food banks:

The Greater Boston Food Bank – $220,404

Connecticut Food Bank – $125,319  

Foodshare – $92,320

Rhode Island Community Food Bank – $72,765

Community Food Bank of New Jersey – $69,733

Food Bank for New York City – $54,155

Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties – $39,405

Worcester County Food Bank – $36,231

Food Bank of Western Mass. – $45,288

Long Island Cares – $43,200 

Island Harvest – $26,563   

Food Bank of Hudson Valley – $19,267

New Hampshire Food Bank – $16,551

Food Bank of Westchester County – $15,611

This past holiday season, Stop & Shop also gifted approximately 20,000 Thanksgiving turkeys to regional food banks and local pantries across the Northeast through its Turkey Express program and supported hunger relief efforts through the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation.

Information regarding money raised in each local Stop & Shop market is available. Please contact Suzi Robinson (New England area) or Arlene Putterman (New York Metro area).

To learn more about Stop & Shop’s hunger relief efforts visit www.stopandshop.com.