A few dollars at a time, Wegmans shoppers this fall can help those in our community who often don’t have the opportunity to shop for a cart full of groceries.
The annual ‘Check Out Hunger’ campaign raises critical funds for Foodlink, Rochester’s regional food bank, to help alleviate food insecurity and address the root causes of hunger in the Rochester region. This year’s campaign begins Sunday, November 5 and runs through December 3.
When shoppers reach the checkout line, cashiers give them the opportunity to make a small donation – typically by rounding up or adding $2, $3 or $5 – to their grocery bill. Last year, those donations added up over five weeks’ time totaled $680,816.62.
“Foodlink relies on this campaign and the support of our community to implement some of the most essential anti-hunger programs throughout our 10-county service area,” said Foodlink Executive Director Julia Tedesco. “Every little donation helps us take a step closer to ending hunger and building healthier communities.”
Foodlink distributes food at low cost for hundreds of emergency food providers throughout its service area and reaches approximately 200,000 individuals annually through its food banking operations and dozens of food-related programs. One out of eight people throughout the Finger Lakes region is considered food insecure, meaning they lack access to enough healthy food for everyone in their household.
“Wegmans has been an invaluable community partner for nearly four decades – about as long as we’ve been serving this community,” said Heather Newton, Foodlink’s Director of Community Engagement. “They make it so easy to donate, but of course it’s the generosity of shoppers that really makes this campaign a success year after year.”
Charity Navigator has rated Foodlink a 4-star charity for nine consecutive years. The nation’s top charity evaluator rates nonprofits based on fiscal transparency and accountability. More than 96 percent of all expenses go directly toward Foodlink’s programs and services.
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