Croton ShopRite Leads Region's Stores in Fundraising for Catholic Charities

From Shoprite Supermarkets: ShopRite Supermarkets presented Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York with a check for $92,000 from the supermarket chain’s participation in the annual Archdiocesan-wide Feeding Our Neighbors food drive.

Leading the supermarket’s Feeding Our Neighbors fundraising efforts this year was ShopRite of Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester, which raised $5,943, followed by ShopRite of Wallkill with $5,403, and ShopRite of Chester at $5,143, both in Orange County.

ShopRite President Brett Wing and District Manager Rich Martin made the presentation at Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan’s annual Celebration of Charity dinner. ShopRite’s 28 stores in the Hudson Valley participated in the annual mid-winter drive to raise food and funds to replenish food pantries throughout the Archdiocese of New York, which includes Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Westchester Counties. The funds were raised through customers’ cash donations at check-out. Additionally, nearly 23,000 pounds of non-perishable food items were donated by customers at participating ShopRite stores. In all, the donation from ShopRite and its customers totaled the equivalent of 390,850 meals.

“Catholic Charities and the people we serve are incredibly fortunate to have the generous support of ShopRite and their customers,” said Monsignor Sullivan. “ShopRite believes in the value of being a good corporate citizen and community partner because they live here too. “The donations they make to Feeding Our Neighbors come at a time when food pantries are struggling to keep their shelves stocked and clients fed. Both the food collected and the funds raised will go a long way in feeding our hungry neighbors.”

This is ShopRite’s third year participating in the Feeding Our Neighbors campaign. To date, ShopRite has collected $310,000 and nearly 47,000 pounds of non-perishable food through the generosity of donations from ShopRite customers – the equivalent of 1,287,000 meals. The donations were distributed to food pantries, soup kitchens, and other anti-poverty programs throughout the Archdiocese.

Speaking to the crowd of more than 400 guests at Anthony’s Pier 9, ShopRite’s Wing said, “ShopRite staff and customers are the best. They embrace our commitment to community giving and believe in the importance to lending a hand-up to our friends and neighbors. It is thanks to them that we are able to support the important work of organizations like Catholic Charities.

While the Feeding Our Neighbors campaign takes place just two weeks each winter, the need to feed the hungry lasts all year long. For more information about making a donation of cash or food, contact your local food pantry, Catholic Charities office, or visit www.catholiccharitiesny.org.