NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to reduce hunger among students in the communities it serves, Stop & Shop, a neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, has donated $10,000 to help launch an in-school food pantry at P.S. / M.S 105, The Bay School in Far Rockaway, Queens.
Almost 80% of the students who attend P.S. / M.S 105 are classified as living below the poverty level. School officials say about 70 families are new to the school and are either living with extended family, friends or in family shelters and need food and personal hygiene products.
“We have established a food pantry in the school building that will give families in need access to the assistance they require,” said Benham Nadjmabadi, the Student and Temporary Housing Coordinator at P.S./M.S. 105. “Through Stop & Shop’s generosity, we will be able to provide families in need with canned foods, dry goods, non-perishables and microwavable foods since those living in family shelters do not have access to stoves. For families with refrigerators, we will be able to offer milk and eggs. We will also be able to provide them with soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo and sanitary items.”
Stop & Shop has provided the school with $10,000 worth of gift cards so they can shop for the specific products that families have identified they need most. Nadjmabadi and other school personnel will use the gift cards to purchase the products at area Stop & Shop stores to stock the school’s food pantry.
“Stop & Shop is so pleased to be able to assist the educators at P.S. / M.S.105 and provide its students and their families with food,” said Carlos Ramos, Stop & Shop District Director for New York City. “A student cannot succeed in the classroom if they come to school hungry and need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
“Stop & Shop’s generosity is greatly appreciated,” said P.S. / M.S. 105 Principal Laurie Shapiro. “Many of our students and their families are food insecure and Stop & Shop’s leadership makes it possible for our school to provide them with the assistance they need in a very respectful way.”
“A well-fed body leads to a well-fed mind. Our students need the proper nutrition in order to maximize their learning potential, and no one should be left to go hungry. These are just two of the many reasons why this program is so important,” said State Senator James Sanders Jr. “Thank you to Stop & Shop for its generous donation, which has made this program possible. It is always great to see the local businesses working with community to bring healthier food to the schools and we want to do more of that.”
“It gives me great pleasure to know that as one of the most prominent business in our community, Stop & Shop would take such interest in the well-being of our students. This has an effect on each and every student who cannot get enough nourishment to sustain their health, nutrition, and their ability to focus,” said Willie A. Jones Sr. Educational Council President of CEC 27. “I would personally like to thank Stop & Shop for the donation to this cause. I pray other businesses in our community will take notice of how you have reached out to those who are less fortunate and decide to follow your example of humanitarian outreach to those who are in need. May God bless Stop & Shop for what it is doing in our community.”
P.S. / M.S.105 marks the first Stop & Shop School Food Pantry in New York. The company hopes to work with more schools in the future.
About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, today’s Stop & Shop is refreshed, reenergized and inspired, delivering new conveniences for customers. Committed to helping its communities enjoy better food and better lives, Stop & Shop has a longstanding history of giving back to the neighborhoods it serves with a focus on fighting hunger and helping children to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs nearly 60,000 associates and operates over 400 stores throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
Stefanie Shuman
Stefanie.Shuman@stopandshop.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30c3df8a-9e8c-4aca-b152-93ea9ac3d2f6