Community Corner

ShopRite, Cheerios Honor Locals in Annual Fundraising Campaign

Two store employees at ShopRite of Garden State Pavilion get a spot on a Cheerios box for their help in raising money to help end hunger.

ShopRite of Garden State Pavilion honored two of its own in the grocery chain’s annual Partners in Caring campaign Tuesday, and store officials vowed to do even more to help end hunger in the region.

Kathleen Cunningham, of Haddonfield, and Elizabeth Quinones, of Camden, were selected to appear on a limited-edition Cheerios box as part of the campaign for their efforts in helping the store raise close to $10,000 in September. ShopRite stores across the chain raised $1.25 million during the month-long drive, which goes to charities like the Food Bank of South Jersey, which was on hand to receive a donation.

The creativity and effort of store employees helped make the fundraising effort a success, said Jason Ravitz, executive vice president and director of retail operations for the six Ravitz family-owned ShopRites in the area.

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“The credit for this goes to our associates,” he said.

But knowing how many people the Food Bank of South Jersey helps across four counties—173,000 people, including 57,000 kids—Ravitz said the work is far from over.

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“I know how much we all try to do, and some of our other competition in the food business tries to do, and the manufacturers try to do to alleviate the problem,” he said. “If were all doing things, and there are still these problems locally…to me, it’s a sin. We somehow have got to ramp it up.”

Still, efforts like September’s fundraising drive give a major boost to the Food Bank of South Jersey, said Sabine Mehnert, the food bank’s community engagement coordinator.

“Every dollar counts, because at the Food Bank, what we can do is take one dollar and make five meals out of it,” she said.

Though she called the number of hungry people in the region, “staggering,” Mehnert said it’s ongoing effort’s like ShopRite’s that help meet that need, which is there no matter the season.

“We do appreciate everything you guys did,” she told ShopRite representatives.


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