Stop & Shop Donates $10,000 to Create School Food Pantry

Stop & Shop today announced a $10,000 donation to ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School to aid in the creation of an on-campus school food pantry. This grant will assist ACES in providing nutritious options and basic necessities to students in needs statewide. This new pantry is part of The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program, a larger initiative that supports more than 100 in-school pantries across five states to help ensure that no student has to go to school hungry.

“So many members of our communities face the challenges of food insecurity. This burden is especially heavy for students and families,” shares Keith Tarr, Store Manager of the North Haven Stop & Shop. “The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program is proud to support ACES Wintergreen Magnet School, and we hope that this donation will help to ensure students have access to food so they can succeed in the classroom.”

Stop & Shop’s donation will benefit ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School students in need by offering them food and other essentials through the new on-campus school food pantry. ACES pantry, named Shelves of Sunshine, serves over 500 students aged 5 to 14 in and out of school. With the majority of students receiving free and reduced meals daily, the Shelves of Sunshine pantry provides food, clothing, and other essentials to students within their community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the need faced by students and their families, making it more severe than ever. Because of the high need among students at ACES who reside in many communities across the New Haven area, including Waterbury, Meriden, Hamden and North Haven, the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry operation will focus on providing nutritious options to students. Stop & Shop will also aid students with nutrition education and other resources through its Nutrition Partners program, led by Stop & Shop’s team of registered dietitians.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Stop and Shop to support our students", explained Shelves of Sunshine Pantry founder, Caroline Ecke. "We are looking forward to continuing this great mission for years to come".

A ribbon cutting ceremony held on June 7, 2022, at ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School’s on-campus school food pantry, located at 88 Basset Road in New Haven, commemorated the campus pantry’s opening, further solidifying Stop & Shop and ACES’s commitment to eradicating food insecurity faced by students.

For more information on The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program, visit www.stopandshop.com/pages/school-food-pantry-program.