Stop & Shop gives $31K towards hunger fight

A group of food banks and hunger-fighting nonprofits have scored $31,100 from Stop & Shop to honor one of the area’s pro sports teams.

Stop & Shop, the official supermarket of the New York Giants, gave a pre-season commitment to donate $100 for each first down converted by the Giants during the 2019 football season, and the team racked up 311 first downs.

The football-related funds will be divided among eight of Stop & Shop’s regional food bank partners, including Long Island Cares, Island Harvest, The Community FoodBank of NJ, Fulfill, The Food Bank for New York City, Feeding Westchester and The Connecticut Food Bank. 

The Giants and Stop & Shop have worked together to fight hunger in other ways as well. Earlier this year, and every season, Stop & Shop sponsors the Giants’ annual food drive at MetLife Stadium, as well as donates thousands of turkeys alongside the Giants as part of the supermarket’s annual Turkey Express Program.

“Stop & Shop has a longstanding history of giving back to the communities we serve with a focus on fighting hunger,” Bob Yager, senior vice president of sales and operations for Stop & Shop, said in a company statement. “This donation underscores Stop & Shop and the Giants’ mutual commitment to assisting food banks on Long Island, in New Jersey, New York City, Westchester and Connecticut.”