ShopRite created “Blog It Forward To Fight Hunger” to engage others in the fight against hunger through blogging! Over the past 10 years, the ShopRite Partners In Caring program has donated $2 million annually to local food banks – $20 million to date! That’s an amazing amount of food for so many hungry people!
How It Started
The ShopRite organization recognized that hunger is not only a problem that exists during the holidays, but throughout the entire year. Even though ShopRite has been fighting hunger by supporting the Feeding America network (formerly America’s Second Harvest) and by participating in the Checkout Hunger program, they wanted to do something more.
In 1999, ShopRite conceived and began its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, a year-round, community based hunger fighting initiative. With the help of more than 50 manufacturers, the program is committed to helping to feed and meet the nutritional needs of families and the elderly who may otherwise go without. These generous companies are a major reason why ShopRite Partners In Caring has been such a success.
Today, the ShopRite Partners In Caring program supports 23 regional food banks and more than 1,400 charitable agencies with food or meal components. With a $2 million annual donation, more than $20 million has been donated since 1999 in the fight against hunger.
How It Works
Companies that have joined ShopRite in the fight against hunger are marked in stores with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf label. By choosing these products, ShopRite customers support manufacturers who contribute to the program.
Each of the 217 ShopRite stores in the six states that ShopRite serves (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland) selects qualified local organizations to benefit from the program. These local food charities use their designated funds to acquire supplies at a food bank.
Who Is Served
More than 36 million Americans go to bed hungry every night – 12 million of them are children. They could be your neighbors, people you know in the community or maybe somebody you said “hello” to this morning. ShopRite is committed to making a difference in the lives of its neighbors. That’s why ShopRite Partners In Caring dollars ultimately service a variety of organizations with feeding capabilities including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care centers, battered women’s shelters, senior programs, drug rehab centers, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, after school programs and other organizations that support those in need in ShopRite communities.
Every time a customer purchases products with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf tag, they support the brands that support the fight against hunger. At ShopRite, customers are not just filling a grocery bag; they are helping to fill empty bowls for thousands of hungry families in your community.
ShopRite Partners In Caring is the Recipient of the Following Awards – among others:
- Good Neighbor Award – Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
- Retailer of the Year Award – America’s Second Harvest/Feeding America
- Outstanding Achievement Award – Hudson Valley Food Bank
- Crystal Toque Award – Philadelphia and South Jersey
- Outstanding Spirit Award – Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank
- Connecticut Food Bank – Bill Liddell Award
- Corporate Excellence Award – Food Bank for New York City
How Can You Help Fight Hunger?
General Mills and ShopRite will donate one box of cereal to a food bank in ShopRite’s trading area for the first 30 people who comment on this post!
One box may not seem like much but I know from personal experience that it can and will make a difference in someone’s life!
Other ways you can help:
- Look for the special ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf tag at your local ShopRite. The manufacturers of these purchased products will make a donation to ShopRite Partners In Caring, contributing to the program and its success.
- Support local charities by contributing to their fundraisers, or help organize a fundraiser in your neighborhood or at work (where permitted). In addition to the money you can raise, talking to people you know about hunger helps raise awareness of the issue and involve them in the effort to address it. A $1 donation can purchase 10 pounds of food from a food bank
- Write a “letter to the editor” of your local newspaper about hunger in your community and encouraging others to support community programs.
- Talk to your children about the effects of hunger on other children in your community and encourage them to get involved. Volunteering together is a great way to teach them about the importance of helping others and make them more likely to remain involved in service as adults.
For more on the program, visit www.ShopRitePartnersInCaring.org
Thanks to ShopRite!!
And I am so glad you left a Comment Henrietta!
I added your Blog to the growing list on my Blog Post!!!
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/
What a terrific idea! I will keep my fingers crossed that you reach 30 and will do my best to help you raise awareness.
Stefanie
http://pediatricsafety.net
I too am participating in this important endeavor.
I fully support ShopRite in their efforts to shed more light on Hunger in America.
Thank YOU for taking part and getting the word out.
Such a great post about a really good cause.