Program aims to provide hungry with hundreds of thousands of meals

Contact:
Eric Blom
207-885-3132
     
News Release

SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Hannaford Supermarkets today announced the 2017 launch of Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger, a charitable campaign focused on helping feed individuals who do not have access to enough nutritious food.
 
Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger is a partnership between the supermarket and its customers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York to provide food and monetary donations to local pantries and regional food banks. Donations benefit the nearly one in seven Americans – 41.2 million people -- who do not have access to all the nutritious food they need.

Last year, Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger generated enough food and cash donations to purchase 911,000 meals for individuals at risk of going hungry in the Northeast.

"Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger makes giving easy at a time of the year when many people are thinking about their neighbors in need," said Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesman.  "This program is a powerful partnership between our customers, local hunger relief agencies and Hannaford to provide financially struggling individuals with nutritious food."

Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger has three parts:
• Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Boxes: Customers purchase a box of food staples for $10, and choose whether to have the box delivered to the local pantry or to donate it personally.
• Register Donation: Throughout the month of December, customers may donate money to a local food pantry, in $5 increments, right at the register.
• Buy One, Give One: For four weeks, starting Nov. 19 customers can trigger Hannaford donations to food banks by purchasing a particular product on specific days. For each item purchased, Hannaford will donate an identical product to the state or regional food bank.

Each Hannaford store determines what local food pantries to support. Stores compete with one another to encourage donations.
 

"No one should have to choose between paying to heat their home or eat a nutritious meal.  This program provides food for people who are facing that kind of hard choice each month," Blom said. "Our customers make a real difference in the community with their donations through Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger."
 
Since 2008, Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger has contributed a total of more than $9 million in food, customer cash gifts and Hannaford cash donations to local food pantries and food banks.
 
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 181 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 27,000 associates. Additional information can be found at www.hannaford.com.