Hannaford Lobster Roll Program Funds $50,000 for Local Summer Meal Programs

Hannaford Supermarkets has concluded its summer lobster roll program with a special contribution to organizations focused on providing healthy meals to children during the summer months across New England and New York. The funding will benefit Project Bread, the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts, and Summer Eats programs in the Spencer-East Brookfield and Orange school districts.

Hannaford committed to donating $1 from every fresh lobster roll sold at its stores from this past May through Labor Day. The program’s success resulted in nearly $300,000 in donations to local community partners who run summer programs that increase access to food for children when school is out of session.

“Summer is a critical time for supporting families when kids are home from school and household grocery budgets stretch to meet the need,” says Shannon Healey, Director of Institutional Giving at Project Bread. “We are proud to partner with Hannaford’s program to make sure families statewide can access summer meals and kids and teens have plenty of food to eat year-round. This funding supports our work and the work of local school districts to provide nutritious, delicious meals to all Massachusetts children.”

Summer Eats, the Massachusetts Summer Food Service Program, closes the gap when the school year ends, helping to ensure children and teens continue to grow, learn and thrive over school vacation. The $50,000 donation to Project Bread will assist in providing free meals to all kids and teens, ages 18 and under, in Spencer-East Brookfield and Orange, as well as general statewide program support.

In the Orange school district, school nutrition staff provided meals at three meal sites for local children and adults each day. In 2026, they look forward to using the Hannaford grant to reduce food waste, upgrade their salad bar unit, establish a made-to-order deli station, and replace their hot & cold food storage unit at the Ralph C. Mahar School. Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District hosted six open meal sites in summer 2025, providing meals for hundreds of kids each day, at local parks, libraries, and schools. Hannaford’s grant will cover a new oven/hot box to serve more children in 2026.

“The Spencer–East Brookfield Regional School District Food Service Department extends our heartfelt gratitude to Hannaford Supermarket for their generous donation to our Summer Eats Program. Their support is going to help us provide healthy, nutritious meals to children and families throughout the summer months, ensuring that no child in our community goes without access to food when school is out,” shared Ashley Chevrette, School Nutrition Director for Spencer-East Brookfield. “The success of our program reflects the dedication of our staff and the strength of our community partnerships. Hannaford’s contribution demonstrates the positive impact we can create when we work together. Because of contributions like this, our program will continue to reach more children, reduce food insecurity, and support the well-being of families across Spencer and East Brookfield.”

For more than 20 years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and statewide food security nonprofit Project Bread have partnered to support meal providers in offering Summer Eats meals to children in Massachusetts. Throughout the school year, the nonprofit and DESE also partner to expand access to and participation in school meal programs. In 2025, Project Bread granted a total of more than $200,000 to Summer Eats sponsors statewide for their program development and capacity-building, such as elevated promotion and social media campaigns, creative engagement ideas, new partnerships and enhanced summer menu items.

For more information on Summer Eats, which will return in June 2026, visit www.projectbread.org/summer-eats.

About Project Bread
Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts with a radical approach to solving hunger. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.

About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets is a leading regional grocer operating 188 stores in the Northeast, most with full-service pharmacies. Since 1883, Hannaford has been dedicated to delivering fresh, high-quality food with care, while creating “more good” in its communities. Guided by its purpose to cultivate thriving communities, Hannaford continues to build on its commitment to uncommon care by supporting local community partners, being the most welcoming place to work and shop, and taking thoughtful steps to protect the planet for future generations. In 2024, Hannaford donated more than 27.6 million pounds of food to hunger relief organizations and supported approximately 135 community partners across its footprint, helping expand access to fresh food, advance youth development, and support healthier lives. Headquartered in Scarborough, Maine, with stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, Hannaford employs nearly 30,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.

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