Worcester's Friendly House Gets $7,500 To Fight Hunger

Worcester MA

19 April, 2021

11:56 AM

Description

Press release from Stop & Shop: April 19, 2021 Inspired by local heroes helping to feed those in need during the pandemic, Stop & Shop, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Coca-Cola, Hershey's and Mondelez today announced a donation of $100,000 to hunger-relief organizations located in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The donation is a result of the 'United in Strength' campaign that ran this past summer and spotlighted Coca-Cola, Mondelez, P&G and Hershey's support of Stop & Shop's efforts to fight hunger in its local communities. Locally, the donation will support the Friendly House in Worcester, Mass., with a $7,500 grant. The four CPG brands each pledged $25,000 to help Stop & Shop fight hunger. Of that total, $25,000 will be donated to Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization. The remaining $75,000 will be divided among 10 of Stop & Shop's local food pantry partners who are on the front lines in the fight against hunger. The money will be used to provide meals and other necessities to those in need. "Friendly House plays a vital role in providing food assistance to Worcester families in need," said Nancy Kinney, Store Manager of Worcester Stop & Shop on Grafton Street. "As many continue to face great hardship due to the impact of COVID-19, we thank P&G, Hershey's, Coca-Cola and Mondelez for providing additional support to our local partner." Friendly House has been providing services to Worcester residents since 1920. Inner city families turn to Friendly House for a variety of assistance including shelter, transitional housing, emergency food, case management, basic immigration assistance, notary services, rent and utility assistance, advocacy, information and referral, diapers, formula, winter jackets, holiday food and toys, out of school time meals, after school and summer camp programs. Over 4,000 people access Friendly House's services annually. "During the pandemic, we have been busier than ever helping families and individuals with a wide array of social service needs," said Gordon P. Hargrove, Executive Director of Friendly House. "This generous grant of $7,500 from Stop & Shop will make a huge impact on the work we do with families in need." Feeding America projects 42 million people (1 in 8), including 13 million children (1 in 6), may experience food insecurity in 2021. And, last year alone, 75,000 neighbors, 32% of them children, turned to pantries and meal programs in the Worcester County Food Bank network for help finding food. Given the lingering economic impacts of the pandemic, the donations will go a long way in helping local organizations fight hunger in the communities where Stop & Shop operates. This press release was produced by Stop & Shop. The views expressed here are the author's own.