Supermarket Customers Asked to Donate to Food Bank When Shopping
The Food Bank for Westchester’s annual Check-Out Hunger campaign is underway at grocery stores throughout the region, including A&P, Balducci’s, DeCicco’s, Fairway, Pathmark and ShopRite.
For Westchester County residents who have difficulty affording food, donating a few dollars during the campaign can help. The effort promotes awareness about the problem of hunger and benefits the more than 200 hunger relief agencies and food pantries in Westchester.
“Check-Out Hunger is one of the easiest and most effective ways to provide food, help and hope for those in need,” said Ellen Lynch, Executive Director, Food Bank for Westchester in a prepared statement announcing commencement of the campaign. “We are proud to have so many partners for this annual fundraiser.”
Every year the campaign is a major source of funding for the Food Bank for Westchester and supports its ongoing fight against hunger and poverty in communities across the county.
Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight food banks in New York State. It acquires warehouses and distributes more than 7 million pounds of food annually to 230 frontline hunger-relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and residential programs. Based in Elmsford, the Food Bank is located in a 36,000 square foot warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest refrigerator and freezer.
Of the 200,000 county residents who are hungry or at risk of hunger, fifty-percent are seniors and more than one-third are children under age 18.
Supermarket shoppers can help this holiday season by scanning $1, $3 and $5 donation slips at checkout aisles of participating stores. Each slip has its own UPC, just like any other item in the store. Whenever a shopper makes a donation, the cashier scans the Check-Out-Hunger donation slip. The donation is added to the bill and appears directly on the receipt.
“The winter is fast approaching and many Westchester County residents will have to make the difficult choice between buying food and paying a heating or utility bill,” continued Lynch, “Hunger is a serious problem throughout our region and this is one way we can help those in need right here in our area.”
A&P and Pathmark will run the program from now until January 31, 2014. ShopRite will run the program until Saturday, December 28. Balducci’s will run the program until Sunday, December 29. Schedules for DeCicco’s and Fairway will vary by location.
For more information visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org.
