WALLINGFORD, CONN. – Connecticut Food Bank will welcome local family-owned ShopRite stores to celebrate the food bank’s 20-year partnership with ShopRite -- a relationship that has helped provide 8.4 million meals to hungry Connecticut residents.
The food bank will honor the store owners and leadership teams with a celebration lunch on Thursday, July 20, at noon at the Connecticut Food Bank Wallingford headquarters and distribution center.
“We saw July 20 as the perfect day to honor ShopRite as we celebrate our 20th year of fighting hunger together in Connecticut,” said Connecticut Food Bank CEO Bernie Beaudreau. “This is an opportunity for us to say thank you and for our friends from ShopRite to see where their donations go and how we can continue to help meet needs across the region.”
Beaudreau said combined ShopRite store and corporate donations to the Connecticut Food Bank since 1998 amounted to more than 1.22 million pounds of food and $4.3 million in funding. “These donations have provided 8.4 million meals for residents facing hunger in Connecticut,” Beaudreau added.
Those expected at Thursday’s event include Wakefern Food Corp. representatives and local ShopRite store owners and managers. The lunch will include a formal recognition and an opportunity for the guests to tour the food bank. “We want our partners to know how much we appreciate their generosity and to see the care and efficiency with which we use their donations,” Beaudreau said.
The Connecticut Food Bank is committed to alleviating hunger in Connecticut by providing food resources, raising awareness of the challenges of hunger and advocating for people who need help meeting basic needs. The Connecticut Food Bank partners with the food industry, food growers, donors and volunteers to distribute nutritious food to people in need, which last year provided nearly 21 million meals. We distribute that food through a network of community based programs to six Connecticut counties - Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham counties – where more than 300,000 people struggle with hunger. Visit us on the web at www.ctfoodbank.org, like us on Facebook and follow @CTFoodBank on Twitter and Instagram.