Shaw's food drive nets 197,110 pounds of food for hungry
Shaw's food drive nets 197,110 pounds of food for hungry
The Greater Boston Food Bank announced that it received a record-breaking 62,266 pounds of food through Shaw's sixth annual "Spirit of Giving" food drive, a New England-wide program that benefited eight food banks, which in total collected 197,110 pounds of donated food.
For the food banks, the donation marked an eleven-fold increase in the amount of food it received from last year's food drive. When asked about the astonishing success of the food drive, Rick Tremblay, communications manager for Shaw's, said in a statement, "This year we made it even easier for customers to participate in the food drive by offering pre-assembled bags of nutrient-rich food ready for purchase right in front of the registers. The fact that customers could make a significant difference in the lives of people in need for as little as $5 was a powerful incentive for our customers."
All the 212 Shaw's and Star Markets throughout New England participated in the "Spirit of Giving" food drive, and the donated food was distributed to the food bank serving the geographical area in which the collecting supermarket was located.
"We were happy to receive over 5,000 pounds of food during last year's 'Spirit of Giving' food drive," said Cheryl Blanton, product donations manager for The Greater Boston Food Bank. "We never imagined that in one short year, we'd received that amount plus another 60,000 pounds of food. And the timing of this program couldn't have been better because winter is such a difficult time for the clients of the pantries, soup kitchens and shelters we serve. Home heating costs put a real squeeze on people who are just getting by. We are grateful to Shaw's and Star Market for doing so much to make this program a success."
The Greater Boston Food Bank distributes more than 24 million pounds of food annually to over 600 member hunger- relief agencies in a dedicated partnership to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts.
For the food banks, the donation marked an eleven-fold increase in the amount of food it received from last year's food drive. When asked about the astonishing success of the food drive, Rick Tremblay, communications manager for Shaw's, said in a statement, "This year we made it even easier for customers to participate in the food drive by offering pre-assembled bags of nutrient-rich food ready for purchase right in front of the registers. The fact that customers could make a significant difference in the lives of people in need for as little as $5 was a powerful incentive for our customers."
All the 212 Shaw's and Star Markets throughout New England participated in the "Spirit of Giving" food drive, and the donated food was distributed to the food bank serving the geographical area in which the collecting supermarket was located.
"We were happy to receive over 5,000 pounds of food during last year's 'Spirit of Giving' food drive," said Cheryl Blanton, product donations manager for The Greater Boston Food Bank. "We never imagined that in one short year, we'd received that amount plus another 60,000 pounds of food. And the timing of this program couldn't have been better because winter is such a difficult time for the clients of the pantries, soup kitchens and shelters we serve. Home heating costs put a real squeeze on people who are just getting by. We are grateful to Shaw's and Star Market for doing so much to make this program a success."
The Greater Boston Food Bank distributes more than 24 million pounds of food annually to over 600 member hunger- relief agencies in a dedicated partnership to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts.