Big Y Urges Shoppers to ‘Sack Hunger’ Locally

As a way to help hungry friends and neighbors, all Big Y stores are taking part in the chain’s “Sack Hunger” campaign, which enables customers to buy a large green reusable grocery bag (or “sack”) filled with staple nonperishable food items selected by area food banks. Each bag of groceries costs $10.

The New England supermarket chain distributes the purchased bags to local food banks, which then give them to area soup kitchens, food pantries, senior food programs and day care centers, among other facilities. All of the donated sacks stay within the stores’ surrounding communities. The campaign is scheduled to run through the end of the year.

All five food banks within Big Y’s marketing area are participating in Sack Hunger. Representing more than 2,100 member agencies throughout the region, the organizations are Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Worcester County Food Bank, Foodshare of Greater Hartford, and The Connecticut Food Bank.

The sacks include the following nonperishable Big Y items: corn flakes, instant rice, elbow macaroni, kidney beans, peanut butter, cut green beans, sweet peas, whole-kernel corn, chunk light tuna and quick oats. Last year, Big Y shoppers donated more than 7,500 bags. This year, the Springfield, Mass.-based grocer aims to provide at least 10,000 bags to area food programs by the end of the program.

“We have been so delighted with the results of Sack Hunger, that we made it even bigger for this year,” said Donald H. D’Amour, chairman and CEO of Big Y. “It is such a simple way for customers to provide staple foods for those less fortunate during the holidays.”

Family-owned and -operated Big Y operates 62 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, with more than 10,000 employees.