Stop & Shop, parent company Ahold USA donate $2.5M for Hurricane Sandy cleanup and recovery efforts

PURCHASE, N.Y. — The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC and its parent company Ahold USA have donated $2.5 million to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Sandy cleanup and recovery efforts. The money, which came from the companies and their charitable foundation, Our Family Foundation, will mainly go to the hardest hit areas in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Stop & Shop has also designated stores in New York and New Jersey as drop-off points for canned and packaged food.



"Stop & Shop is pledging support to our customers, neighbors and associates who have been so drastically impacted in our area by Hurricane Sandy," said Don Sussman, president, Stop & Shop New York Metro Division, according to a recent press release. "It is our hope that our effort helps ease the pain and speed the recovery of those who have lost so much, and we hope that others will be encouraged to assist in the relief effort and rebuilding process in any way they can."



Stop & Shop and the other supermarket companies of Ahold USA worked with the American Red Cross to establish microsites that allow associates, customers and vendors to make donations securely and with ease to local Red Cross disaster relief efforts in their respective communities. To make a donation, go to www.StopandShop.com and click on the Red Cross link at the bottom right. All donations will go to local hurricane relief efforts.



All Stop & Shop stores are also collecting cash donations at checkout counters for regional food banks and pantries, which are vital to the local communities they serve, particularly as millions of people impacted by Hurricane Sandy struggle to recover. Company initiatives such as the Stop & Shop's Food for Friends program provide much-needed assistance to hunger relief agencies.



"Other local efforts are underway to support additional communities up and down the East Coast that were impacted by Sandy," said Joe Kelley, president, Stop & Shop New England Division, in a press release.



"One of the main charitable giving missions of Ahold USA and its companies is building healthy communities and today's donation will go a long way to helping customers rebuild disrupted lives and devastated communities," added Carl Schlicker, COO, Ahold USA, in the press release.



The supermarket company and its parent company have also donated $500,000 to the Stop & Shop/Giant Helping Hands fund. The fund provides assistance to the companies' associates in times of need. The donation will go toward helping associates who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.