Food Bank for Westchester and Local Supermarkets Call on Community to “Check-Out Hunger”

Customers Encouraged to Add Donation to Grocery Bill in Check-Out Aisle

WHITE PLAINS, NY (November 2013) — Help the 200,000 Westchester County residents who have difficulty affording food by donating a few dollars during the Food Bank for Westchester’s annual Check-Out Hunger campaign. The effort promotes awareness about the problem of hunger and benefits the more than 200 hunger relief agencies and food pantries in Westchester.  The campaign is underway at grocery stores throughout the region, including A&P, Balducci’s, DeCicco’s, Fairway, Pathmark and ShopRite.

“Check-Out Hunger is one of the easiest and most effective ways to provide food, help and hope for those in need,” said Ellen Lynch, Executive Director, Food Bank for Westchester. “We are proud to have so many partners for this annual fundraiser.”

Every year the campaign is a major source of funding for the Food Bank for Westchester and supports its ongoing fight against hunger and poverty in communities across the county.

Of the 200,000 county residents who are hungry or at risk of hunger, fifty-percent are seniors and more than one-third are children under age 18. 

Supermarket shoppers can help this holiday season by scanning $1, $3 and $5 donation slips at checkout aisles of participating stores. Each slip has its own UPC, just like any other item in the store.  Whenever a shopper makes a donation, the cashier scans the Check-Out-Hunger donation slip. The donation is added to the bill and appears directly on the receipt. 

“The winter is fast approaching and many  Westchester County residents will have to make the difficult choice between buying food and paying a heating or utility bill,” continued Lynch, “Hunger is a serious problem throughout our region and this is one way we can help those in need right here in our area.”

The schedule at all Westchester based locations for participating stores is:

A&P and Pathmark will run the program from now until January 31, 2014.

ShopRite will run the program until Saturday, December 28.

Balducci’s will run the program until Sunday December 29.

Schedule for DeCicco’s and Fairway will vary by location.

For more information contact Ferne Bordash, Manager, Direct Services Programs at (914) 923 – 1100 ext. 205 or ferne.bordash@foodbankforwestchester.org.

About the Food Bank for Westchester

Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight food banks in New York State. It acquires warehouses and distributes more than 7 million pounds of food annually to 230 frontline hunger-relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and residential programs serving the 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of being hungry. Based in Elmsford, NY, the Food Bank is located in a 36,000sf warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest refrigerator and freezer. For more information, visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org.

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