Stop & Shop Highlights the Success of Meat the Needs, a program that donated over 300,000 pounds of meat to the Connecticut Food Bank

Representatives of the Connecticut Food Bank joined Stop & Shop officials at the Stop & Shop on North Main Street in Bridgeport, CT to discuss the success of Stop & Shop’s Meat the Needs program, which in 2014 provided the Connecticut Food Bank with 304,139 pounds of beef, poultry and pork and enabled the food bank to provide 254,000 meals to those in need.

The Meat the Needs program allows Stop & Shop meat managers to remove poultry, beef and pork from refrigerated shelves just ahead of expiration and instead of discarding it, donating it to food banks which quickly distributes it to food pantries and soup kitchens.

“Stop & Shop has long been a strong supporter of our efforts to provide for those in need across Connecticut,” said Rob Levine, President & CEO of the Connecticut Food Bank. “Stop & Shop’s innovative solution to match their inventory control process to the needs of so many food insecure people across our state with the Meat the Needs program is yet another example of their leadership in corporate social responsibility and why the Connecticut Food Bank considers Stop & Shop a critical partner in the fight against hunger.”

The Meat the Needs program led to over 2 million pounds of beef, poultry and pork being donated to food banks across the New York metro tri-state area. In addition to providing quality meals and vital protein to Connecticut residents in need, the amount of food waste that otherwise would have had to be deposited in landfills across the state in 2014 was reduced by 10,270 tons of organic material.

“Stop &Shop is proud that the proactive efforts of our stores has enabled us to provide much needed protein to the Connecticut Food Bank which has allowed them to provide meals to Connecticut residents in need,” said Arlene Putterman, Manager of Public and Community Relations for Stop & Shop NY Metro Division. “In addition to helping feed the hungry, Stop & Shop is pleased that our efforts have benefited the environment by reducing the waste that would have ended up in landfills.”

PHOTO CAPTION: (From left to right) Lisa Schaefer, Meat and Seafood Specialist at Stop & Shop, Rob Levine, President and CEO of the Connecticut Food Bank, and Jack Testani, Meat Manager of Stop & Shop at Bridgeport, examine the beef, poultry, and pork products that Stop & Shop is donating through the program. Last year, Stop & Shop provided 304,139 pounds of protein, enabling the food bank to provide 254,000 meals to those in need.