Stop & Shop plans to donate 5,000 fresh meals each day to health care first responders at hospitals in greater New York City and Boston caring for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.
The Northeastern grocer said Thursday the donations will start immediately and are being sent to those metropolitan areas because they represent some of the nation’s communities hardest hit by COVID-19.
Meals will be provided every day to Mount Sinai Hospital in East Harlem, N.Y. (Manhattan); Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y. (Long Island);
Long Island Community Hospital in Suffolk County, N.Y.; Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, N.J.; Boston Medical Center; and Boston Children’s Hospital.
“Medical first responders are doing incredible work in extremely trying conditions to keep our communities safe, and we are honored to have this opportunity to help,” Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement. Stop & Shop’s 60,000 associates are working extraordinarily hard each day to ensure that everyone has access to the food they need, and we hope these meals will help in filling an essential need for local healthcare heroes in the days ahead. We also hope that other food retailers and suppliers will do what they can to expand free meals at hospitals across this region and around the country.”
Food donations will include sandwiches, salads and prepackaged entrees, as well as energy and nutrition bars for when health workers don’t have time for a meal as they care for COVID-19 patients. Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop said it’s will cover all costs and use its “substantial food production capacity and extensive regional delivery network” to supply the meals and snacks.
“Mount Sinai is grateful to Stop & Shop and other business partners who are joining us in this fight against this pandemic. The donations will ensure our frontline nurses, physicians and support staff have nutritious food to keep going during this very difficult time,” said Patricia Lamb, chief of ancillary and support services for the New York-based Mount Sinai Health System. “We thank you for supporting our community as we work to save as many lives as possible during this crisis.”
Also on Thursday, Stop & Shop said it will provide $500,000 to its Helping Hands associate care fund for associates and their families in times of need, including during the coronavirus pandemic. The retailer, too, has raised pay for hourly union associates by 10% and expanded leave benefits and flexible scheduling arrangements to support workers.
In addition, Stop & Shop will contribute $500,000 to support COVID-19 vaccine research at Boston Children’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard University Medical School. The funds will support the Precision Vaccine Program, directed by Dr. Ofer Levy of Boston Children’s Hospital.
Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, Stop & Shop employs nearly 60,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.
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