NBC4, Telemundo 47, and Ridgewood Stop & Shop to hold food drive

Fulfill and Community FoodBank of New Jersey are teaming up with NBC 4 New York/ WNBC, Telemundo 47 / WNJU and Stop & Shop on Saturday, September 9th for the Feeding Our Families /

Alimentando a Nuestras Familias food collection and volunteer recruitment drive. A massive, one-day multi-state effort to help eradicate local hunger. The other food banks across the Tri-State to benefit from this effort include; Food Bank for New York City, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, Feeding Westchester, Connecticut Foodshare, Island Harvest Food Bank, and Long Island Care.

Feeding Our Families events will take place at nearly 200 Tri-State Stop & Shop locations between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM. NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 will deliver live reports and broadcast cut-ins from local Stop & Shop locations. This includes NBC 4 New York’s Weekend Today in New York at 8:30 AM and News 4 New York at 6 PM, and on Telemundo 47’s Noticiero 47 Telemundo at 6 PM.

The community can visit any one of these locations to donate non-perishables food and personal hygiene items to help their neighbors in need. Please visit

NBCNewYork.com/fooddrive or telemundo47.com/ayuda to access a map of store locations. You can also follow the campaign on social media or post your own photos on September 9th using the hashtags #FOF, #FeedingOurFamilies or #T47Alimentando

Stop & Shop is one of the Tri-State’s largest supermarket retailers, and the brand has been a strong partner of area food banks and hunger relief organizations for many years. In 2023 alone, Stop & Shop has donated over $2.4 million in cash contributions to the eight participating food bank partners across New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. In 2019, Stop & Shop launched the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program, to work directly with schools from Pre-K through college to establish and support their in-school food pantries. This program has continued to expand, and Stop & Shop now supports more than 180 school food pantries across its entire footprint, including more than 100 school pantries within the Tri-State area.

"More than 530,000 people in CFBNJ's service area are food insecure, including over 130,000 children. They are our neighbors, family members, friends, and acquaintances," said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "Feeding Our Families is a fun initiative and an important effort as we and our fellow food banks work to ensure that everyone has access to the nutritious food they need to live healthy, active lives. CFBNJ is also grateful for our partnership with Stop & Shop, NBC 4 New York, and Telemundo 47."

“Right now, food pantries and soup kitchens across Fulfill's network in Monmouth & Ocean Counties are seeing nearly 70% more visitors than last year - need remains at historic highs,” said Triada Stampas, President & CEO, Fulfill. “The NBC 4 New York & Telemundo’s ‘Feeding Our Families’ food drive, in partnership with our local Stop & Shop stores, will help Fulfill and our network fill our shelves with much-needed donations. Thank you to everyone who participated in Feeding Our Families -- because of you, Fulfill will be able to continue distributing a record-breaking 1.2 million meals each month, as more of our neighbors struggle to put food on the table for their families.”

DONATIONS:

Non-perishable food and personal hygiene items, including frequently requested items like baby diapers are most in need. The food banks also suggest donations of: Canned proteins, soups and vegetables, dried beans, fruit, Herbs and peanut butter.

Other suggested items on the Feeding Families Shopping list include:

• Grains: barley, oats, oatmeal, quinoa and rice.
• Milk: Shelf-Stable or Dried ONLY
• Spices: adobo, cumin, curry, garlic, pepper and salt.
• Condiments: ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and salad dressings.
• Baby Products: diapers, formula, food and hygiene products.
• Hygiene: feminine products including liners, sanitary pads, tampons, deodorant, soap, shampoo, shaving cream, and toothpaste.
• Household: aluminum foil, cleaners, garbage bags, napkins and paper towels.

PLEASE NOTE: No perishable dairy, glass or produce can be accepted.

“This is a critical time for our food banks. With the start of school just around the corner and the holidays quickly approaching, they need non-perishable food donations right now,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of NBC 4 New York. “Our WNBC team is passionate about fighting hunger and supporting the work of our local food banks. That is why we are hosting Feeding our Families on Saturday, September 9; a massive one-day food drive that will generate hundreds of thousands of meals for Tri-State families in need.”

“The loss of a job, a long-term illness or any number of unexpected circumstances can lead us to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table. It does not have to be this way - and that is why our food banks are so important,” said Cristina Schwarz, President and General Manager of Telemundo 47. “The food banks are that first line of defense for all of us, and they are ready to lend a helping hand regardless of where you live, the language you speak or your immigration status. Our Alimentando a Nuestras Familias campaign will help Tri-State food banks meet the growing demand and continue their important work.”

“We are incredibly excited to bring back this beloved community event with our partners NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47, and to rally alongside our customers to help in the fight against hunger,” said Jennifer Barr, Stop & Shop Director of External Communications and Community Relations. “Making sure our neighbors in the communities we serve have access to nutritious food is important to us – and if we all work together, we can help put an end to hunger in the Tri-State area.”

With food banks also in need of new volunteers, NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 are encouraging viewers to “Give 4” and commit four hours of their time every four months at a local food bank. Volunteers can stock shelves, pack supplies and make local deliveries. They can also conduct non-physical, customized tasks including accounting, social media, digital marketing and advertising, among others. Food Bank volunteer signup sheets will be available on event day at each Stop & Shop location.