Hannaford Alleviates Challenges That Come With Aging
Hannaford Supermarkets’ Connection, Health and Equity Through Food (CHEF) program is helping to award funds to organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York that will improve the health and well-being of older adults. The $376,000 worth of grants, funded by the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA), are being given to 51 organizations.
The initiative, which was kicked off in December with a $1.3 million donation by Hannaford to the MCOA, aims to enhance access to food and social connection. The program sits under the banner of Hannaford’s “Eat Well, Be Well – A Path to Better Health” initiative and funds organizations and projects that support the needs of diverse older adults, including the BIPOC community, LGBTQ+ individuals, adults with disabilities, immigrants and military veterans, as well as those living in rural areas with limited access to transportation.
“At Hannaford, we’re focused on making thoughtful investments that ensure all members of our communities, including older adults, are healthy and thriving,” said Sherri Stevens, community relations manager for Hannaford. “Community connection is imperative for our health and well-being as we grow older and face the challenges that come with aging.”
Continued Stevens: “The organizations receiving funding through this first round of grants play a major role in connecting older adults with fresh, nutritious food and socialization opportunities that support mental health. We encourage other organizations to take advantage of this opportunity to support programs that put older adults at their center.”
Organizations that received funding include the Alan Day Community Garden in Norway, Maine; NH Hunger Solutions in Dover, N.H.; Heineberg Community Senior Center in Burlington, Vt.; and Urban Farming Institute in Mattapan, Mass.; among others.
Another grant cycle is currently underway, with online applications being accepted through June 30.
Hannaford introduced Eat Well, Be Well in September 2022 to help break down the barriers that challenge access to healthy, nutritious food and wellness resources. The food retailer has, so far, donated nearly $3 million to organizations under the Eat Well, Be Well banner.
Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford operates 187 stores in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, and employs nearly 30,000 associates. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century and its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.
