Stop & Shop gears up for 22nd annual Food for Friends program

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop once again will host its annual hunger relief program.

The supermarket chain said that its Food for Friends program, now in its 22nd year, will kick off Friday and run through Dec. 8. Customers who donate $1, $3, or $5 at their local Stop & Shop will help support local and regional hunger relief organizations. Additionally, customers who donate $5 to Food for Friends also will receive a $5 coupon booklet from Kraft Foods (while supplies last), the company said.

Stop & Shop said 100% of funds raised for Food for Friends will be delivered — 60% will be allocated directly to local food pantries, while the other 40% will be donated to regional food banks. Stop & Shop hopes to raise more than $2 million this year.

"This year's program could not have come at a better time as demand for food across the country is on the rise, placing more of a burden on local and regional food providers who are trying to do more with less," Stop & Shop New England division president Mark McGowan said. "Programs like Food for Friends are a great way for our customers to get involved with helping their local community."