MOOSIC, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Earlier today a local grocery store helped raise some money to fight food insecurity.
Every year, nearly 270 ShopRite grocery stores participate in the ShopRite Partners in Caring Cheerios Contest, where stores compete against each other to raise the most money for local food banks. This year’s theme was ‘Class of 2026’ and for the second year in a row, the ShopRite of Birney Plaza in Moosic was one of the highest raising stores. As a reward, three of the top associates from the store are featured on a special commemorative cheerios box and an extra $2500 was given to the Friends of the Poor and the Catherine McAuley Center.
“We do this every year,” explained Katie Gallagher, spokesperson and retail dietitian for ShopRite of Birney Plaza. “So every September is usually when we’re doing our fundraising and it’s kind of like a whole team approach where we’re making displays, we’re having event’s, we’re doing rounding up at the registers. So there’s lots of ways to participate and help us hopefully get on the box again next year so that we can award more money to our local pantries.”
At the ceremony local leaders came to praise the staff and a massive check was awarded to the local charities. This year, the campaign raised over $1.3 million and since 1999, it’s donated $65 million to local food pantries all over the east coast. The Birney Plaza location is hoping for a three-peat next year, and the ShopRite stores of Mt. Pocono and Daleville also received the honor.