ShopRite, Wakefern pledge $1.25M to aid families amid SNAP uncertainty

ShopRite and Wakefern Food Corp. are donating $1.25 million in food and funds to regional food banks to support families affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown and uncertainty surrounding SNAP benefits.

Wakefern, a retailer-owned supermarket cooperative with members operating stores in nine states, said the donation will be distributed among food banks in the communities where its supermarket banners — including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, Di Bruno Bros., Morton Williams and Dearborn Market — operate.

“We know many families are facing increased food insecurity and uncertainty right now, and that is why we are making this donation to food banks,” said Mike Stigers, president of New Jersey-based Wakefern Food Corp.

The donation builds on Wakefern and ShopRite’s decades-long efforts to address food insecurity. Through the ShopRite Partners In Caring program, the cooperative has contributed more than $65 million to over 2,500 charities and hunger-fighting organizations since its inception in 1999.

“Wakefern members represent family-owned businesses and live and work in the communities where their supermarkets operate,” said Sean McMenamin, Wakefern chairman and president of Philadelphia-based McMenamin Family ShopRite. “We know the people who come into our stores – they are friends and neighbors. We’ve watched their kids grow up, celebrated milestones with them, and now, in this challenging moment, we want to help make things a little better for those who are struggling.”