Locals help re-stock NJ Food Banks in first-ever NBC 4/Telemundo 47 food drive

More than 900,000 meals were collected during NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47’s Feeding Our Families / Alimentando a Nuestras Familias first-ever Tri-State food drive, in partnership with Stop & Shop supermarkets. The meals will be delivered to local families by seven food banks that also participated in the stations’ food collection campaign. The Feeding Our Families food drive took place on Saturday, April 8 at 199 Stop & Shop supermarket locations across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

“No matter where you live, there are hungry people in every community across the Tri-State,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of NBC 4 New York. “Our WNBC team joined with our Telemundo 47 partners to report on this important issue and make lives better. As a result of our food drive, seven Tri-State food banks have now been restocked with over 120 tons of non-perishable goods with more than 900,000 meals being delivered to local families in need.”

With food banks facing their greatest need between the months of January and August, all non-perishable donations were delivered to seven participating food banks for direct distribution to local families in need. The participating food banks include the Connecticut Food Bank, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Food Bank for New York City, Food Bank for Westchester, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the Island Harvest Food Bank.

“Telemundo 47’s first-ever food and volunteer drive exceeded all expectations. It was one of the most successful community initiatives in our station’s 50 years of service to the Tri-State’s Spanish-speaking communities,” said Cristina Schwarz, President and General Manager of Telemundo 47. “Our viewers truly responded to our call and hundreds of thousands of meals will now be delivered to local families in need. These collective efforts will generate a positive impact across our region.”

On the day of the food drive, more than 800 volunteers, including anchors, reporters and staff from NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47, as well as Stop & Shop associates and representatives from local area food banks helped to collect non-perishable goods at Stop & Shop’s Tri-State locations. Viewers donated more than 120 tons of non-perishable items, enough to fill three tractor trailers. Stop and Shop also donated $100,000 to support the work of the seven participating Tri-State food banks.

“We are proud to continue Stop & Shop’s steadfast support of local food banks and pantries. This was the largest single-day food drive Stop & Shop has held – and the most successful. The level of excitement and engagement from the volunteers, our own managers and associates, the customers and the anchors and talent from NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 was truly extraordinary,” said Bob Yager, Stop & Shop Senior Vice President and New York Metro Division Lead.

As a food retailer, Stop & Shop is committed to supporting the communities that it serves and those organizations that are on the front lines battling hunger every day. It also recognizes the important role it can play in hunger relief efforts. In 2016, Stop & Shop donated almost $4 million to hunger relief agencies throughout the region. Part of that effort included its signature Meat the Needs program which delivers safe, nutritious and much needed meat to regional food banks and pantries for families in need.

For more information about the Feeding Our Families / Alimentando a Nuestras Familias food and volunteer drive, including news stories and photo galleries, please visit NBCNewYork.com/fooddrive or Telemundo47.com/donar.