Donations will help the communities’ most in-need individuals remain fed and healthy, and support efforts to decrease spread of the virus
New York organizations to receive $180,000 in funding
Scarborough, Maine — In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Hannaford Supermarkets is donating $750,000 to numerous hunger relief and homeless outreach organizations throughout the Northeast as they work to support some of the most at-risk members of the community during the pandemic.
The health crisis and related economic impact are creating unprecedented demand for food assistance, resulting in operational disruptions and significant new costs for the agencies that provide emergency meals. In addition, individuals who rely solely on pantries and shelters – or who live on the street – face particular risk of contracting and spreading the virus because they have no home to shelter within.
Hannaford’s donation includes:
- A total commitment of $550,000 to food banks in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts. This includes $300,000 in new funds, in addition to a recently announced $250,000 donation to the food banks.
- A total of $200,000 to organizations that work with homeless people. The donation will be used to help create social distance among these individuals, while helping them to meet the most-basic needs of survival and staying healthy amid the crisis.
“Every day, we are learning more about the impact of this virus and responding together as a community to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hannaford President Mike Vail. “Our company and our associates are working hard in our grocery stores to meet the most-basic needs of our community during this difficult time: food and medicine. We hope that this donation also will help the most-vulnerable of our neighbors meet their fundamental needs of staying fed and healthy, during this difficult time.”
New York organizations will receive $180,000. This includes $125,000 in donations announced today and recently announced donations of $50,000 for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and $5,000 to Food Bank of Central New York, as outlined below:
- Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York: $120,000 (includes $50,000 previously announced)
The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York will utilize the funding to hire additional staff to help meet growing needs in their efforts to collect and distribute food to nearly 1,000 charitable agencies across 23 counties in New York.
- Homeless and Travelers Aid Society: $30,000
The Homeless and Travelers Aid Society (HATAS) provides shelter, food and clothing to homeless individuals, as well as long-term affordable housing and sustainable employment, in Albany County and the surrounding Capital Region. HATAS is currently working to move homeless individuals and families out of shelters and into temporary housing to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
- Salvation Army, Empire State Division: $25,000
The Salvation Army, Empire State Division provides a host of services to individuals and families with varying needs, including homelessness. The organization operates 43 homeless shelters across the state, including locations in Albany, Schenectady, Hudson and Kingston. The Salvation Army also provides emergency supplies and assistance, including a food pantry, food delivery and meal preparation sites, for homeless individuals.
- Food Bank of Central New York: $5,000 (previously announced)
“Now that the need for our services is greater than ever, Hannaford has responded in kind with this incredibly generous gift. We will use it well to feed the thousands of our neighbors who are struggling so much at this difficult time,” said Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Executive Director Mark Quandt. “We are humbled by Hannaford’s faith in the Food Bank, and will work hard every day to ensure the resources they have entrusted to us are put to good use caring for those in need.”
“The Homeless and Travelers Aid Society is focused on saving lives. Shelters, by definition, are group homes, and they offer little to no opportunity to isolate and social distance. Based on national best practices, these funds will be used to place homeless individuals in hotel rooms and other suitable settings until we are past the current crisis,” said Homeless and Travelers Aid Society Executive Director Liz Hitt.
“The Salvation Army centers across the Capital Region are on the front lines of a collision of two crises: poverty and the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus. While everyone is impacted by the current outbreak, people living in poverty are experiencing the effects quicker and more significantly,” said Major Ivan K. Rock, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Empire State Division. “Hannaford has been a faithful partner in our fight against food insecurity and this donation ensures that low-income individuals and families have access to desperately needed resources in the midst of this crisis.”
Individuals who wish to make donations to support these organizations may do so online at:
- Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York:
https://regionalfoodbank.net/
- Homeless and Travelers Aid Society:
www.hatas.org
- Salvation Army, Empire State Division:
https://give.salvationarmy.org/give/278302/#!/donation/checkout
- Food Bank of Central New York:
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/foodbankcny
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 183 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.