Stop & Shop Donates 1,000 Thanksgiving Turkeys to Fulfill

Stop & Shop’s annual Turkey Express program donated 1,000 Thanksgiving Turkeys to Fulfill as part of the Food Bank’s annual Thanksgiving food distribution program, which Stop & Shop associates and Fulfill representatives distributed to community members in need at Fulfill’s drive-thru food distribution event.

"The number of our Monmouth & Ocean County residents relying on food pantries is at unprecedented levels - more than double since the pandemic - and for families struggling to afford food, the holidays can be an especially difficult time,” said Triada Stampas, President and CEO of Fulfill. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to gather around a table with loved ones to enjoy a warm, nourishing holiday meal. We are incredibly grateful to Stop & Shop for helping make that possible for thousands of our neighbors with their generous donation of 1,000 turkeys this Thanksgiving.”

Stop & Shop’s Turkey Express program will deliver over 25,000 turkeys and gift cards, a total value of more than $600,000 to hunger relief organizations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island this holiday season.

“Stop & Shop’s primary charitable effort is to combat hunger across all the communities we serve,” said Daniel Wolk, External Communications Manager of Stop & Shop. “That is why we are proud to donate 1,000 turkeys to Fulfill and help distribute them to our New Jersey neighbors in need, so they may better enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with a delicious meal.”

According to Fulfill:

• Visits to its pantry network are up 79% compared to last year.
• In the last year, Fulfill distributed 14.3 million meals through its agency partner network with 4 million pounds of fresh produce from local farms, wholesalers, and distributors.
• Fulfill provided $4.9 million in grocery benefits through SNAP enrollment assistance.
• In Fulfill's service area of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, there are 121,500 food-insecure individuals, of which 28,200 are children.
• Fulfill serves 103,000 neighbors per month across Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
• 1 in 11 people in Monmouth and Ocean Counties face hunger.
• 1 in 10 children in Monmouth and Ocean Counties face hunger.
• Fulfill is distributing enough food for 1.2 million meals each month.