Verona Resident Featured on Special-Edition Cheerios Box

Brookdale ShopRite employees have an appetite for goodness.

Three associates from the Bloomfield grocery store were honored Wednesday for helping raise the most money in the 11th annual ShopRite Partners in Caring Cheerios Contest, which targets hunger in communities. Spanning six states, the initiative raised a record $522,000.

Anne O'Leary and Roland Spence, both Bloomfield residents, and Susan Kosinski, of Verona, are featured on 150,000 special-edition Cheerios box that will be sold throughout March at the Brookdale branch. O'Leary and Kosinski, a customer service front-end manager, headed the store's fundraiser.

"It just feels nice that we can be part of a community project that everyone embraces," said O'Leary, who works in human resources. "We didn't set out to win, we set out to raise money for Partners in Caring. Winning was kind of like the icing on the cake."

As part of the contest, which took place last September for National Hunger Action Month, Brookdale ShopRite associates held numerous food drives, 50-50s and sold hot dog meals and t-shirts to help alleviate hunger. At the end of the six-week initiative, the store had donated 300 bags of food to a Montclair food pantry and raised money toward the initiative. The store has chosen not to disclose the amount.

"It makes me feel good to help others who are in need," said Kosinksi, who has worked at ShopRite for 29 years.

The top five stores in the contest each received $3,000 from ShopRite Partners in Caring to donate to a charity of their choice. Brookdale ShopRite donated the money to the Family Service League and Human Needs Food Pantry, both in Montclair, and the United Way of Bloomfield.

O'Leary said the Brookdale store, which came in second place last year, would not have been successful without the support of owner Neil Greenstein.

"Whatever idea we came up with, Neil and his family have embraced this issue and said, 'Run with it,'" said O'Leary. "They've really given us the means to come in first place or even make it to the Cheerios box."

As part of the contest, which took place last September for National Hunger Action Month, Brookdale ShopRite associates held numerous food drives, 50-50s and sold hot dog meals and t-shirts to help alleviate hunger. At the end of the six-week initiative, the store donated food to the Family Service League and Human Needs Food Pantry, both in Montclair, and the United Way of Bloomfield. The branch also raised money toward the initiative but has chosen not to disclose the amount.

"It makes me feel good to help others who are in need," said Kosinksi, who has worked at ShopRite for 29 years.

O'Leary said the Brookdale store, which came in second place last year, would not have been successful without the support of owner Neil Greenstein.

"Whatever idea we came up with, Neil and his family have embraced this issue and said, 'Run with it,'" said O'Leary. "They've really given us the means to come in first place or even make it to the Cheerios box."