I have been blessed with the finest group of readers. You are kind, compassionate, and motivated to helping others in need. I’ve seen you pull together and accomplish tasks that seemed nearly impossible. With your strong dedication and perseverance you have made a positive difference in the lives of others. I’m hoping today you can once again come together and join ShopRite Partners In Caring, along with me, in the fight against hunger.
Facts about hunger in America.
Did you know that more than 36 million Americans suffer from food insecurity? What is food insecurity? Food insecurity is when you lack the economic means to enough safe, nutritious foods, and you are unsure when or what your next meal will be. Sadly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 11 percent of U.S. households are food insecure, and nearly one-third of these families are experiencing moderate to severe hunger. The statistics show a shocking 12 million children are growing up hungry and 2 million seniors endure the pain of food insecurity. The figures breakdown to one out of every eight Americans went hungry some time in the previous 12 months. Look around you! This could even be a family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker affected by hunger. How can this be going on in America?
ShopRite compiled a list of statewide food insecurity rates within their area.
New Jersey – 7.7%
Delaware – 7.8%
Maryland – 9.5%
Connecticut – 8.6%
Pennsylvania – 10%
New York – 9.8%
Complications of hunger.
A growing child is most vulnerable to the devastating complications of hunger. Children who do not receive the adequate nutrients their little bodies require suffer from weekend immune systems making them more acceptable to diseases. They may develop cognitive and behavioral problems such as irritability, fatigue, and young children might possibly show difficulty in concentration. Further complications result in a slow or unusual development in areas such as speaking, behavior, or movement. It has also been proven that teenagers are not exempt to the ill affects of hunger and will display signs of depression.
ShopRite Partners In Caring
The good news is that the ShopRite organization recognized the widespread problem of hunger experienced by families in the neighborhoods served by their stores. For more than 20 years ShopRite has been helping to fight the problem of hunger through it’s support of the Feeding America Network and by direct participation in the Checkout Hunger Program.
In 1999 ShopRite felt the need to do more to fight the growing battle of hunger. They realized hunger was a year-round problem and began their community based hunger fighting program called the ShopRite Partners In Caring. With the support of over 50 generous manufactures, the successful program has helped feed and meet the nutritional needs of the families and elderly who otherwise may have gone without food.
Currently, the ShopRite Partners In Caring program supports 23 regional food banks and more than 1,400 charitable agencies with food or meal items. The program has generated over $20 million in donations since 1999 in the fight against hunger.
How it works.
Companies that joined ShopRite in the fight against hunger have their products specially marked in stores with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf label (see label above). Every time you purchase one of the items marked with the special tag you help support the manufactures who contribute to the program.
The list of brands with the ShopRite Partners In Caring shelf label can be found here.
“Each of the 217 ShopRite grocery stores in the six states that ShopRite serves (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland) selects qualified local organizations to benefit from the program. These local food charities use their designated funds to acquire supplies at a food bank.”
The ShopRite Partners In Caring donations contribute to a large variety of organizations with feeding capabilities including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care centers, battered women’s shelters, senior programs, drug rehab centers, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, after school programs and more!
Getting Involved
Getting involved in the fight against food hunger and food insecurity is easier than you might think. Did you know a small donation of $1 can purchase 10 pounds of food from a food bank? Amazing!
Other ideas (borrowed from ShopRite) on how you can actively fight against hunger are…
Send a tax-deductible donation to the ShopRite Partners In Caring Fund:
ShopRite Partners In Caring Fund
c/o Consumer and Corporate Affairs
P7-103 Wakefern Food Corp.
PO Box 7812
Edison NJ 08818-7812
Contribute to the annual Check Out Hunger program at participating ShopRite stores by asking your cashier for a $1, $3 or $5 donation tag at check-out; your contribution will be added to your grocery bill.
Support local charities by contributing to their fundraisers, or help organize a fundraiser in your neighborhood or at work (where permitted). In addition to the money you can raise, talking to people you know about hunger helps raise awareness of the issue and involve them in the effort to address it.
Contact your elected officials to find out what is being done about hunger and poverty in your community and encourage them to support policies that help the needy and the organizations and agencies that help them.
Write a “letter to the editor” of your local newspaper about hunger in your community and encouraging others to support community programs.
Volunteer at a food bank or food pantry, soup kitchen or other charity in your community, helping them to help others in your community. Invite your friends and family, co-workers, members of your religious congregation, or clubs to which you belong, to join you.
Talk to your children about the effects of hunger on other children in your community and encourage them to get involved. Volunteering together is a great way to teach them about the importance of helping others and make them more likely to remain involved in service as adults.
Get to know a family or individual in your community who may be experiencing food insecurity, and find out how you can help. It may be by preparing a meal once a week or twice a month, or helping them find an agency or organization appropriate to their situation that can address long-term needs.
How you can help right now by making a simple comment!
Since the beginning of the ShopRite Partners In Caring Program in 1999, General Mills has been one of the program’s most supportive vendor partners and their steadfast fight against hunger continues today.
General Mills and ShopRite will donate one box of Cheerios to a food bank in ShopRite’s trading area for the first 30 people who comment on this post! If you would like to help someone in need, leave a comment telling me you would like to join the fight against hunger. Very simple but effective! To help even further and become a “hunger-fighting hero” spread the word about the ShopRite Partners In Caring program and the fight against hunger and raise awareness through the power of blogging!
Statistics facts reported by Feeding America
This is what really makes blogging fun, when you can do it for a great cause. Thanks for all the great tips on how to get involved.
tweeted
So just by me commenting here, General Mills is making a donation of a box of Cheerios? So cool!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to help someone out there who is hungry.
What a great opportunity! Thanks for sharing this!
I would love to join the fight against hunger! What a wonderful thing to do!
what a great thing you are doing
There are a lot of people around the world experiencing hunger. Anyway thanks for sharing this. I hope this will serve as an eye opener for those people who have more enough in life.
What an excellent program!
Thanks for informing people.
What a great idea. We have a local food bank and since we live in such a Small Town we can really see the impact with people we actually know. I love the fact that ShopRite and General Mills are doing this.
Great idea. Thanks for helping.
This is a wonderful cause. I talk to so many who are struggling financially. A box of Cheerios is not going to save the world, but its a really nice start. . .and yummy too! 😛
I’ll tweet it as well!
Thanks for following my blog and thanks for letting me know about this great opportunity. It only takes one person or one company to help change our world and that is truly amazing.
I’m always up to help out…especially when it’s to fight something. Thanks for visiting my blog and I look forward to keeping up with yours.
Thanks for the heads up on this and for following. This is a great cause! I will blog it too!
This is such a great program! Go Cheerios!! 🙂
Thanks for such great info. You rock!
What a great cause! Good luck!
Steph @ pleasestickitinthefridge.blogspot.com
very cool site. I’m adding you to my google reader too.q
Donate a box for me!! 🙂
This is a great way to help! I’m glad I could be of assistance in a small way!
You my dear are an amazing person..the world is definitly a batter place because of you!!!! Thanks… donate one for me…natalee http://totmama.blogspot.com/
ah, the power of the pen (or, in this case, the keyboard)…
thank you for the info on ShopRite; i look forward to checking it out.
another organization to which i belong is “Feeding America.” it’s part of a network of social organizations committed to fighting poverty and hunger at home, in our communities.
tworboy(at)hotmail(dot)com
What a great program!
This is indeed a good program for a wonderful cause. Anything we can do to stop hunger in the world is a plus.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Wow what an amazing opportunity!
I would love to join the fight against hunger, please count me in! Thank you for doing this!
It’s a GREAT campaign! Thanks for posting the information.
Great campaign – I am glad I have the opportunity to help!
Wow I even live in PA and had no idea, thanks so much for raising awareness, together we can all do some good and hopefully make some changes!
well i wasn’t in the top 30, but this is a fantastic cause and I still support it!
We love Shoprites. The stores come up with new and different fundraisers for local charity. One might have a raffle going while another has a bakesale. Wish I’d posted earlier but still glad to see the 30 mark was reached for Cheerio donations.
It’s a wonderful thing they are doing to help with the hunger issue.
I volunteer at our local food shelf & am aware of how many people need help with groceries.
What a great program! I tweeted to spread the word. 🙂
Great program. A good reminder to us all that even small things we do can make a difference.
As a resident of Pennsylvania, it saddens (but does not surprise) me that our state has the highest rate of food insecurity at 10%. In our household, both my partner of 11 years and myself have been unemployed for over 6 months. We are currently living on my unemployment check (she did not qualify). Since our state does not yet recognize civil unions, we also lack the benefits of a married couple. However, I do not believe in complaining about our financial situation…since I see so many others around us who are in worse situations. Very shortly, though, I believe that our household WILL be among that 10%.
Great article on a much needed program.
Hello. Thank you for this great info! Keep up the good job!
Nice stuffs!! Thanks for sharing.
Had never heard of this organization. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. WOuld be nice if it was available in more states too.
thank you! I really liked this post!
It’s really sad that people out there can’t enjoy at least one meal at day let alone 3. I wish this wasn’t the way it is where many struggle. God Bless everyone.. This is also one reason I love shopping at my shoprite!
thank you! I really liked this post!
I had no idea that just $1 can buy 10 pounds of food.
Wow, there are some super terrific tips here and it is so nice to see how you are becoming involved for such an important cause!
Thank you for blogging about something so important! We hear all the time how we take things for granted, but I think the ability to feed our families is one of the biggest things. When you think of all the things you spend money on, when others don’t have enough money to spend on food, it makes you stop and think.
I had not hear of this before- what a great idea! Thanks for the info on how to get involved!
I agree with the first blogger wh commented, you can really use your blog to make a difference in the things you care about!
I’m glad you care enough to do something about it!
-Chancy
Bravo for ShopRite! A great example of how corporations need not be uncaring.
hi, i’ve been following this website several times Finally wanted to stop lurking=)
Hi, I can’t understand how to add your site in my rss reader. Can you Help me, please 🙂