Stop & Shop considers the role of a grocer to be the heart of the community and stands strong on the commitment to being a good neighbor. Did you know more than 400,000 Connecticut residents struggle with hunger? This is why Stop & Shop works closely with local partners, such as the Connecticut Food Bank, to fight hunger in our communities.
The difference between a family that needs food assistance and one that doesn’t could be a sudden loss in job, an unexpected health expense or a home expense. Over half of the people that have leveraged services from a food pantry or soup kitchen have had to choose between food or utility expenses–a choice no one should have to make. To alleviate this, in 2019, the Connecticut Food Bank distributed enough food to prepare over 22 million meals in areas that struggle with hunger the most.
The Connecticut Food Bank is committed to alleviating hunger for those in need. The food bank works with partners in Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London where nearly 270,000 people struggle with hunger.
But one of the greatest challenges when it comes to fighting hunger in communities is ensuring that those in need receive an adequate source of protein to fulfill the requirements of a healthy, balanced diet. That’s where Stop & Shop’s Meat the Needs program comes in. The program allows Stop & Shop meat managers to remove poultry, beef and pork from refrigerated shelves just ahead of expiration and instead of discarding it, donates it to area food banks which quickly distributes it to local food pantries and soup kitchens. Through Meat the Needs, Stop & Shop has donated over 2 million pounds of meat to regional food banks.
To learn more about Meat the Needs and other ways Stop & Shop supports and gives back to our communities, visit the Stop & Shop Community page.