ShopRite Donates $2,500 to St. Mary’s Pantry to Combat Local Food Insecurity

In a continuing effort to support neighbors in need, the ShopRite of Cortlandt held a special ceremony Thursday morning to present a $2,500 donation to St. Mary’s Pantry in Mohegan Lake.

The contribution is part of ShopRite’s Partners In Caring initiative, a year-round community-based program dedicated to fighting hunger.

“There is not a community partner that steps up more than ShopRite,” said Supervisor Ed Lachterman, who praised the supermarket’s ongoing commitment to the region. “This store has made a huge difference in food insecurity and it’s greatly appreciated. Our job as elected officials is to help our community, and to have a partner that works with us so much is just a blessing.”

St. Mary’s Pantry has served the Yorktown-Cortlandt area for over 45 years. As an all-volunteer organization, the pantry provides emergency and supplemental food to hundreds of families each month.

The $2,500 grant will allow the pantry to:

• Purchase high-demand nutritional staples and fresh produce.
• Bolster their Choice Pantry model, which allows guests to select items that best fit their family’s dietary needs.
• Support seasonal distributions that provide extra assistance during holiday periods.

“Not only are we so grateful for this donation, but ShopRite donates every single week. We probably get 25 or more bags of food every single week, and it is a huge help for the pantry,” said pantry director Cindy Smith.

Since its inception in 1999, the Partners in Caring initiative has donated more than $48 million to soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior citizen centers, and other organizations that are on the front lines of fighting hunger.