Stop & Shop donates more than $190,000 to Long Island Cares

Stop & Shop presented a check for more than $190,000 to Long Island Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank at the Glen Clove Boys & Girls Club ‘Lights on Afterschool’ celebration event. Stop & Shop’s number one charitable pillar is to fight hunger in its region and was honored to donate over $190,000 to Long Island Cares in an effort to help food-insecure Long Islanders.

The donation is part of a larger $2.4 million donation from Stop & Shop to eight Feeding America® food banks across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to support programs that fight against food insecurity.

The donation from Stop & Shop came from a combination of its in-store ‘Food for Friends’ campaign, which ran from May 5th to June 4th, and the Stop & Shop Family Foundation. More than $65,000 was raised through ‘Food for Friends’ and $125,000 was awarded from the Stop & Shop Family Foundation to Long Island Cares for the 2023-24 school year in support of the food bank’s Kids Cafe after-school feeding and nutrition education program for food-insecure children.

The Family Foundation grant funds the purchase of food, supplies and equipment for 17 Kids Cafes, located at public and private schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, churches and community centers.

Over its 20-year partnership with Long Island Cares, the Stop & Shop Foundation and Stop & Shop stores have provided more than $3 million in monetary and food donations. All donations to Long Island Cares are earmarked to support efforts to feed the 68,000 Long Island children suffering from food insecurity.

“Stop & Shop has been a vital support in our mission to reach children on Long Island experiencing food insecurity with nutritious meals,” said Kerry Tooker, Manager of Child Nutrition Programs at Long Island Cares. “Their funding has expanded our programs exponentially over the past decade. There has never been a more necessary time to provide this nutrition assistance and Stop & Shop has risen to the occasion to meet the needs of the children of Long Island.”

“We are proud to donate more than $190,000 to Long Island Cares to combat hunger and support the expansion, transition and sustainability of their Kids Cafe after-school program,” said Stop & Shop’s Regional Vice President, Tarik Stewart. “Within Long Island, 68,000 children are food insecure, and kids cannot reach their full potential if they are hungry and do not know when or where their next meal will come. The Long Island Cares’ Kids Cafe after-school program does a wonderful job supplying free meals to hungry children at safe after-school community locations, while also providing educational, recreational and social activities under the supervision of a trustworthy staff. We are honored to support Long Island Cares in their effort to eradicate hunger and help our Long Island neighbors in need.”