Hannaford Gives Nearly $1M in Food Aid

Through its anti-hunger campaign, Delahaize America banner Hannaford Supermarkets has donated $994,674 in product and cash to food banks and food pantries across five Northeastern states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts. The “Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger” initiative took place in all 181 of the grocery chain’s stores between Oct. 14 and Dec. 31.

“Hannaford customers made a real contribution to reducing hunger in local communities, by joining with us to donate nearly $1 million in product and money to pantries and food banks,” said company spokesman Eric Blom. “Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger is a true partnership between anti-hunger agencies, local people and our company focused on helping our neighbors in need.”

The campaign consisted of three parts:

• Hannaford Helping Hands: Boxes of nonperishable staple grocery items were sold for $10 each. The boxes held canned chicken breast, cereal, pasta, sauce, rice, soup and vegetables. Hannaford customers bought a record 80,882 Helping Hands boxes in 2012, a 3 percent increase from the previous year.
• Register Donations: Shoppers who donated money to regional or state food banks at checkout contributed more than $58,000 during the 2012 holiday season.
• Buy One, Give One: Customers triggered donations to regional or state food banks by purchasing a particular Hannaford brand product. For each of these items bought, Hannaford donated an identical item to the food bank. Some customers also donated the product they purchased. This program element yielded 67,545 boxes of spaghetti, 44,001 cans of sauce and 75,781 cans of vegetables for food banks.

“Hannaford is a true partner in our work to end hunger in Maine,” noted Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, Maine. “One of the many reasons the Food Bank is able to distribute more than 10 million meals a year to Maine families in need is due to the dedication of Hannaford, its employees and its customers.”

“Hannaford’s support spans two decades of hunger relief in Vermont, and their leadership is paramount in ensuring that our neighbors have enough to eat,” added John Sayles, CEO of Vermont Foodbank in Barre. “As budget cuts and changes to vital nutrition programs loom in Washington, as many as 86,000 Vermonters are struggling with hunger. The donation of food and funds from Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger couldn’t come at a better time.”