Stop & Shop Customers Raise $1.8 Million through Annual Food for Friends Program

Money Raised to Benefit Food Banks and Local Food Pantries Across the Northeast

QUINCY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC announced today the success of its 23^rd annual Food for Friends program, which raised $1.8 million by the end of 2012 for local hunger relief organizations throughout the Northeast. Stop & Shop customers, associates and partners supported the program and 100 percent of the funds raised will go directly to community food pantries and regional food banks.

“We are so proud of our customers and so grateful for their help in our mission to help fight hunger in our communities.”

The chain-wide effort kicked off this past summer with the Healthy Ideas® Food for Friends program, and continued in November with 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 chain-wide; boxes were donated directly to a local food pantry adopted by a store and any additional proceeds going back into the program. This year, more than 75,000 boxes were donated by Stop & Shop customers;
• Kraft and Unilever contributed several hundred thousand coupon booklets worth $10 to reward customers who donated
• Stop & Shop contributed a company match of $500 per store.

“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,” said Joe Kelley, president of Stop & Shop’s New England division. “We are so proud of our customers and so grateful for their help in our mission to help fight hunger in our communities.”

Of the $1.8 million raised, 60 percent is donated to the local hunger relief agency or food pantry each store adopts and 40 percent is donated to 14 regional food banks, including the following:

Massachusetts, $749,595 total. Food banks include:

• The Greater Boston Food Bank - $218,881.74
• Worcester County Food Bank - $35,980.56
• Food Bank of Western Mass. - $44,975.70

Connecticut, $469,146 total. Food banks include:

• Connecticut Food Bank - $104,393
• Foodshare - $91,043.52

New York, $182,405 total. Food banks include:

• Food Bank for New York City - $25,769
• Long Island Cares - $51,991
• Island Harvest - $32,170
• Food Bank of Hudson Valley - $18,560
• Food Bank of Westchester County - $16,294

Rhode Island, $168,043 total. Food banks include:

• Rhode Island Community Food Bank - $67,217.20

New Jersey, $149,453 total. Food banks include:

• Community Food Bank of New Jersey - $62,127
• Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties - $18,737

New Hampshire, $28,058 total. Food banks include:

• New Hampshire Food Bank - $11,223.20

The top stores that raised significant amounts of donations this year include:

1. 91 Point Judith Road, Narragansett, RI – $12,076

2. 498 Bushy Hill Rd, Simsbury, CT – $11,942

3. 505 N. Main St., Southington, CT – $11,098

In addition to the Food for Friends program, Stop & Shop supported hunger relief organizations by donating more than 20,000 turkeys through its Turkey Express program this past fall and hunger relief efforts through the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation.

”Stop & Shop has a long tradition of supporting the communities in which we serve and fighting hunger in those communities is one of our top priorities. Hurricane Sandy hit the New York metro area when we launched our Food for Friends program and more than ever before our customers and associates continued to help make a difference to families struggling to put food on their table during such a devastating time,” said Don Sussman, president of Stop & Shop’s New York Metro Division.

Information regarding money raised in each local Stop & Shop market is available. Please contact Suzi Robinson (New England Division) at [e-mail] or Arlene Putterman (New York Metro Division) at [e-mail] for further details.

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

About Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs approximately 62,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness – with emphasis on children’s educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA’s Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.