Over $205,000 Donated to Island Harvest Food Bank to Support Hunger Relief Programs on Long Island

Stop & Shop today donated over $205,000 to Island Harvest Food Bank at its Healthy Harvest Farm on the campus of Sisters of St. Joseph, reinforcing the company’s commitment to ending hunger in local communities. The donation is part of Stop & Shop’s broader $2 million investment in Feeding America® food banks across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and will help expand programs that address food insecurity throughout the region.

Food insecurity has continued to rise across Long Island. According to the most recent data:

• Approximately 240,470 people on Long Island struggle with food insecurity, including 44,500 children, according to a recent study by Feeding America®.
• Island Harvest distributed 21.5 million pounds of food in 2025 and expects to distribute over 22 million pounds in 2026.

The donation from Stop & Shop was generated through a combination of its in-store ‘Feed it Forward’ campaign, which ran from May 1^st to June 7^th, and a significant contribution from the Stop & Shop Family Foundation. The ‘Feed it Forward’ campaign raised over $55,000, while the Stop & Shop Family Foundation contributed $150,000, all aimed at supporting Island Harvest’s Youth Produce Project.

The Island Harvest Youth Produce Project, which began in 2013 through a longstanding partnership with the Stop & Shop Family Foundation, provides low-income children and their families with weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables. This initiative partners with eight Head Start locations across Long Island to ensure these families receive essential nutrition. Beyond food distribution, the project also educates children and their families on the importance of developing and maintaining healthy, well-balanced eating habits, addressing both immediate hunger and long-term wellness.

With this donation, the Youth Produce Project can now distribute a variety of fresh produce to at least 500 children per week. This support translates to over 45,000 pounds of healthy fruits and vegetables, supplementing nearly 38,000 meals. The donation will also enable Island Harvest to offer critical educational materials to participants about the nutrient-rich foods provided, emphasizing the importance of developing and maintaining healthy, well-balanced eating habits.

“As a leading grocer on Long Island, we see every day how rising food insecurity is impacting families across our communities, especially children who need reliable access to fresh, nutritious food to grow and thrive,” said James McGinn, Regional Vice President of Operations at Stop & Shop and Island Harvest Board Member. “Through our partnership with Island Harvest and support of programs like the Youth Produce Project, we’re proud to invest more than $205,000 to help expand access to healthy food, support nutrition education, and ensure more children and families have the resources they need this summer and beyond.”

Each year, Island Harvest relies on the generosity of organizations like Stop & Shop to serve neighbors facing hunger. Stop & Shop’s Meat the Needs Program, ‘Feed It Forward’ campaign, Annual Turkey Express Program, Stop & Shop Family Foundation donation, School Food Pantry Program, and direct support are a few of the many ways the company supports anti-hunger organizations in the communities it serves.

“Our longstanding partnership with Stop & Shop demonstrates how nonprofit organizations and the corporate community are tackling important societal issues like hunger and food insecurity and yielding positive results,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO, Island Harvest. “Stop & Shop’s support of our Healthy Harvest Farm and Youth Produce initiative is helping Island Harvest change the way Island Harvest addresses the root causes of hunger and provide solutions that promote healthy eating habits, which in turn improve long-term health among people who are food insecure.”

The donation of over $205,000 will allow Island Harvest to better help Long Islanders combat hunger by distributing healthy, fresh produce to children and their families across Nassau and Suffolk counties. To learn more about Stop & Shop’s community support; visit: https://stopandshop.com/pages/feed-it-forward.