Stop & Shop Restore Supports Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen

To help food pantries prepare for a rise in demand during the holiday season due to COVID-19, Restore, Stop & Shop’s reduced-emissions fuel program, today announced a donation of $10,000 grants to five hunger-relief organizations. Locally, the donation will support Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen in New Haven, Connecticut, providing services to those facing food insecurity across the community. Additionally, the Restore Program will calculate and offset the organization’s operational carbon emissions making them carbon neutral.

According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, the coronavirus-related economic crisis could push the number of food insecure Americans to 54 million by the end of 2020. In Connecticut, over 10 percent of residents reported experiencing food insecurity in July, with the number jumping to 18 percent among people of color. New Haven, in particular, has seen a rise in extreme poverty over the last four decades, with rates of households earning less than half the average family income increasing by almost 150 percent. As the holiday season approaches, this $10,000 grant will help many individuals and families that continue to be burdened by hunger.

“Although the Restore program is centered around reducing the impact of fuel emissions, our funding has shifted to help local hunger-relief organizations such as Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, who provide assistance to those facing food insecurity as a result of the pandemic,” said Stop & Shop Regional Vice President of Operations Kevin Conrad. “As we approach the holiday season and communities continue to face challenges of food insecurity, this grant will provide additional assistance to DESK, who serve a critical role in feeding those in need across New Haven county.”

“For those experiencing food insecurity and living in poverty, every day presents an array of challenges,” said DESK Executive Director, Steve Werlin. “The public health crisis caused by the novel Coronavirus and the economic fallout have exacerbated already dire circumstances in our community. We’re so grateful for the leadership Stop & Shop is demonstrating by supporting our work to provide critical, lifesaving relief. Together, we are changing lives and improving the overall health of our community.”

With the Restore program, every time a customer fills up at a Stop & Shop fuel location, the Restore reduced emissions program offsets those tailpipe emissions through investments in certified environmental projects, creating a positive impact locally and around the world. To learn more about Stop & Shop’s dedication to giving back, visit www.stopandshop.com.