Stop & Shop Opens In-School Food Pantry at Local Flatbush School

The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Erasmus High School and Stop & Shop today held a ribbon cutting of the school’s new food pantry. The pantry, which will serve over 300 students from 9th-12th grade, is being supported by a $7,500 gift card donation from Stop & Shop that will enable the school to purchase the specific food items and other essential products that the students and their families need.

The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program was established to help limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom by making sure that they have consistent access to food. Stop & Shop supports local schools’ existing food pantries or helps them establish a new one by providing gift card donations to help stock their shelves.

“One of our core beliefs that is entrenched in our culture is “Maslow before Bloom.” Academy of Hospitality and Tourism has always subscribe to the notion that our school must meet the physiological needs of our students before we can demand academic excellence,” opines Principal Dr. Shirley Miller. “Stop & Shop, our community partner since 2017, has given us opportunities to serve others through the preparation of meals on Thanksgiving each year; now we have a chance to serve ourselves through the granting of our school pantry. So it is fitting, thank you Stop & Shop, that we are the first in-school pantry in Brooklyn.”

“As the neighborhood grocery store in Flatbush, we’re dedicated to supporting our local students and their families,” said Stop & Shop Communications Manager, Stefanie Shuman. “This in-school pantry will ensure students at the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Erasmus will have access to the food and supplies they need. Students cannot learn when they are hungry, and we are proud to support the school in ensuring they are fueled for success.”

Stop & Shop currently supports more than 50 School Food Pantries across its five-state footprint. The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Erasmus High School is the supermarket’s first in-school pantry in Brooklyn. For more information about Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry program, visit https://stopandshop.com/pages/school-food-pantry-program.