Grocery store donates 1,500 Thanksgiving turkeys to Community FoodBank

NEWARK, NJ — Stop & Shop donated 1,500 Thanksgiving turkeys to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey as part of the company’s annual Turkey Express program, which provides more than 25,000 turkeys to hunger-relief organizations across the supermarket’s footprint. 

The issue of food insecurity across the Garden State was highlighted during the second intermission of an NHL game played between the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Prudential Center Arena, when Community FoodBank of New Jersey President and CEO Carlos Rodriguez took part in the Stop & Shop shootout, attempting a center ice shot to secure the donation, but ultimately putting the spotlight on hunger in New Jersey.

“Stop & Shop’s 1,500 donated Thanksgiving turkeys have been in the CFBNJ freezer for weeks,” Stop & Shop external communications manager Stefanie Shuman said. “But we still wanted to put Carlos on ice — as the true goal was to shine the spotlight on hunger in New Jersey and encourage fans to help if they are able. We are grateful for partners like the Devils who share our commitment to support CFBNJ.”

“Taking the ice at a Devils game was definitely a first for me, but I was honored to have the opportunity to shed light on hunger in New Jersey and the need for public support,” Rodriguez said. “At CFBNJ, we’re grateful for the steadfast commitment of partners like Stop & Shop and the New Jersey Devils — during the holidays and all year long.”

As the official supermarket of the NJ Devils, Stop & Shop’s donation spotlighted the increased need Community FoodBank of New Jersey is facing going into the holiday season: More than 650 thousand New Jersey residents — one in 13 — are food insecure; more than 175 thousand children in New Jersey — one in 11 — are food insecure; and, in New Jersey, black and Latino residents experience food insecurity at more than five and a half times the rate of white residents.

“Food insecurity, especially as we approach the holiday months, is a serious concern for those in our community that we all need to work together to combat,” Devils President Jake Reynolds said. “The work of Stop & Shop and Community FoodBank of New Jersey in this sphere has never been more important, and it is our responsibility to use our platforms to draw awareness and contribute to this communal need.”

In addition to the turkey donation, Stop & Shop also supports the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at each Devils home game through its Community Assist program. For every home game assist tallied by the Devils in a season, Stop & Shop donates 150 meals to CFBNJ. Last season, the Devils had 216 home game assists, which meant a donation of 32,400 meals to the food bank.

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