Stop & Shop and Unilever to Provide More than 1 Million Meals for Local Families

QUINCY, Mass., Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An alarming one in four children in the United States faces hunger.  To help feed children in need, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC and Unilever today announced a partnership to donate $150,000 to Feeding America and its local member food banks this September - Hunger Action Month.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110908/NY65221LOGO )

The donation will provide more than one million meals to children and families in need by supporting local hunger relief organizations such as regional food banks and pantries. Stop & Shop has a long-standing commitment to fighting hunger and has donated more than $30 million to hunger relief efforts since launching its Food for Friends® program in 1989.

"Stop & Shop is always exploring new ways to support the communities we serve," said Suzi Robinson, manager of public and community relations for Stop & Shop's New England Division.  "This fall, through our partnership with Unilever, we've identified several ways customers can join us in our effort to fight childhood hunger.  All of their contributions -- even donating $1 through our in-store Popsicle® parties will help make a difference in the life of a child."  

For every dollar donated Feeding America provides eight meals for families in need.  Stop & Shop's 2011 events include:

• Popsicle® Parties -- Satisfy a sweet tooth and help a family in need by donating $1 for a FREE Popsicle® pop, while supplies last, on Saturday, September 10th from 10 a.m. to  2 p.m. Stop & Shop will donate all of the proceeds to local area food banks.  Go to stopandshop.com for a list of participating stores.
• Stuff-A-Truck Events -- Fill your local food bank truck to the brim by delivering canned and non-perishable food items during Stop & Shop's Stuff-A-Truck events on September 17th in our West Hartford, CT store; September 24th in our Woburn, MA store; October 29th in our Mamaroneck, NY store and November 12th in our Milford, CT store. Visit stopandshop.com for other dates and locations.  

"Whether it's the under-employed parent, the homebound senior, or the little boy in your child's classroom, hunger is everywhere," said Amy Franze, Chief Philanthropy Officer with Feeding America.  "Through the commitment of Stop & Shop and Unilever, 1.2 million meals will be provided to Feeding America on behalf of its member food banks to those struggling with hunger. We can't thank them enough for their generosity."

For more information about Stop & Shop's community initiatives visit www.stopandshop.com.  

About Stop & Shop

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company employs nearly 62,000 associates and operates more than 390 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness -- with emphasis on children's educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

About Feeding America  

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180.  With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.  In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, OMO, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemme, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America -- generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2010.  For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

SOURCE Stop & Shop