LI Cares To Provide Thousands Of Meals Across LI, With Assist From Stop & Shop

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island Cares has announced the "Feed It Forward" campaign in partnership with supermarket chain Stop & Shop.

The campaign is running at every Stop & Shop store on Long Island now through July 6.

Shoppers on check-out lines are encouraged to round up their bill by $1, $3 or $5. Over the last three years, the campaign has raised $197K, which has gone a "long, long way" to providing fresh and nutritious food for adults, seniors, veterans, children and more, a Long Island Cares spokesman said.

"With more potential budget cuts on the horizon, funding from this program is especially important this year," said Kaylin Wasilchuk, corporate philanthropy manager at Long Island Cares, in a news release. "Every $10 collected will put six meals on the table for a family facing food insecurity and that’s huge."

Food insecurity is "on the rise" across Long Island communities, said Daniel Wolk, external communications and community relations manager at Stop & Shop.

"Food banks like Long Island Cares are experiencing record-high demand while facing a decline in government support," Wolk said. "As one of Long Island’s leading grocery retailers, we believe it's our responsibility to stand with our partners on the front lines of hunger relief. Long Island Cares plays a vital role in supporting our neighbors and we’re proud to host our annual Feed It Forward in-store campaign at all Stop & Shop locations. Every dollar raised goes directly to local food banks like Long Island Cares. We’re deeply grateful to our generous customers for their continued support — because no one can truly thrive when they’re facing hunger."

The campaign raised $70K in 2022, and numbers have seen a "steady decline" in the years since, said Wasilchuk.

"We can’t say for certain, but if I had to guess, inflation is definitely the culprit," Wasilchuk told Patch. "Since the cost of food has risen, people don’t have as much to spare."

Wasilchuk said the 2025 campaign is too early to tell as far as pacing goes compared to previous years. She said it is a "great way" to give back.

"People don’t realize, but even if it’s a few cents — combined with someone else’s few cents — it adds up!" she said. "These days, literally every penny counts. No amount is too small."

Long Island Cares is "grateful" that Stop & Shop runs the campaign annually, Wasilchuk said.

"Their support means a lot to us."

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.