Stop & Shop raises more than $1.3 million for hunger relief during pandemic

The Stop & Shop grocery chain’s 30th annual Food for Friends campaign raised more than $1.3 million to support the COVID-19 response efforts of 13 regional food banks in the Northeast, the company announced Thursday.

Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends initiative is an annual summer donation program in which customers at Stop & Shop stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey are able to donate at checkout to support hunger relief. To help its food bank partners in this time of unprecedented need, Stop & Shop shifted the timeframe of the campaign to run throughout the month of May. Customers using self-checkout registers were asked if they would like to round up their total to the nearest dollar, and Stop & Shop donated 100% of the change to regional food banks across its footprint.

Related: Food retailers fortify hunger relief efforts

“We’re very grateful for the overwhelming generosity of our customers to help us support our food bank partners in their important work to provide food to individuals and families during this pandemic,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, a division of Ahold Delhaize USA. “The response from our customers shows that any size contribution can add up to make a meaningful impact in our communities.”

Related: Ahold Delhaize USA donates $10 million relief package to local communities

Back in March during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus, Stop & Shop had announced a $1 million donation to support these regional food bank partners as they help those struggling with immediate hunger needs and food insecurity during the pandemic.  The food banks chosen as partners include:

• Community Foodbank of New Jersey
•  Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
• Foodshare
• Feeding Westchester 
• Food Bank of the Hudson Valley
• Fulfill
• Food Bank for NYC
• Greater Boston Food Bank
• Island Harvest
• Long Island Cares
• Rhode Island Community Food Bank
• Worcester County Food Bank

Stop & Shop operates over 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.

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