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In Brentwood, Stop & Shop donated more than $200,000 to Island Harvest and presented a check to the Sisters of St Joseph to help combat food insecurity on Long Island. The contribution is part of a larger $2 million donation to Feeding America food banks in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The donation is thanks in part to Stop & Shop’s “Feed it Forward” campaign from May 1-31, which raised more than $50,000. The Stop & Shop Family Foundation also contributed $150,000.

Donations are earmarked for Island Harvest’s Youth Produce Project. This project was launched in 2013 in partnership with the Stop & Shop Family Foundation to deliver weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to underprivileged children and their families. This initiative works with eight Head Start sites on Long Island to ensure these families receive the nutrients they need. Beyond food distribution, the project also educates children and their families on the importance of developing and maintaining healthy, balanced eating habits that combat both immediate hunger and long-term wellness.

The donation will enable the Youth Produce Project to distribute fresh produce to at least 490 children each week. According to Stop & Shop, the support equates to more than 65,000 pounds of healthy produce that supplements nearly 55,000 meals.

“As a major grocery retailer on Long Island, we have witnessed the heartbreaking consequences of food insecurity and seen how severely limited access to fresh, healthy food can impact our community, especially children,” said Jennifer Barr, director of external communications and public relations at Stop & Shop, in a press release about the donation.

“We are proud to donate over $200,000 to help our Long Island neighbors fight hunger and provide more children with better access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” added Barr.

According to Feeding America’s 2022 Map the Meal Gap report, approximately 221,190 people are food insecure on Long Island, including 44,780 children – a 63.4% increase from the estimated 27,580 children who were food insecure in 2021. Nationwide, one in seven people, including one in five children, live in a food-insecure household – the highest number of people and children since 2014. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that food insecurity among children increased 44% from 2022 to 2023, the largest one-year increase since 2008.

Other Stop & Shop programs that help combat food insecurity include the Meat the Needs program, the Feed It Forward campaign, the Annual Turkey Express program, the School Food Pantry program, and direct support to organizations fighting hunger in the communities they serve.

“Without the support of our long-time partner Stop & Shop, we simply could not do our work to combat the ongoing public health crisis in our communities,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, in the press release. “Their care and generosity are making a positive impact on the lives of those we serve, and we are extremely grateful for our part in the fight against hunger and food insecurity on Long Island.”