In what is supposed to be a season of hope and joy, the number of families in need seems to be growing. True to form, the retailers in the Philadelphia area did their part over the Thanksgiving holiday and continue to do so as the Christmas season gets into full swing.
Partnering with the Greater Media’s Philadelphia Radio Group first day of their “Campout for Hunger” campaign, Acme Markets donated more than 121,840 pounds of food during the Thanksgiving holiday. That was five times more than last year’s total! During the annual Channel 6ABC Food Drive, Acme president Jim Perkins said, “For over 120 years, Acme has been a part of the community. We enjoy doing lots of things for the community especially during the holidays.” In the past four months, Acme has given more than 4 million pounds of food to Philabundance. Wow!
Brown’s Super Stores, in the Philadelphia area, once again partnered with the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC), as well as State Representative Cherelle Parker, State Representative Dwight Evans, State Representative Curtis Thomas, City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco and City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, to coordinate a tremendous Thanksgiving basket distribution this year. In conjunction with sponsors Pepsi, Glory Foods and The Neighborhood Bakery, which supplied many of the items in this year’s baskets, this partnership fed more than 6,000 individuals citywide and gave them a meal to remember this Thanksgiving. Community partners from across the city distributed the Thanksgiving baskets to families in need. A team of 50 to 75 volunteers assembled at the ShopRite of Oregon Avenue on November 23 to prepare the baskets for distribution. Volunteers from all of the partners involved were on hand to help with the packing of the baskets where the baskets were distributed to the local community groups.
Retailers aren’t the only ones involved in feeding the needy. Goya Foods, the largest, Hispanic-owned U.S. food company, donated 40,000 pounds of food to City Harvest’s annual food drive, the largest food drive in New York City. With the alarming statistics that more than one million New Yorkers will go hungry this holiday season, Goya Foods joined City Harvest in leading efforts to ensure that thousands of individuals and families were cared for and provided with much-needed food during the Thanksgiving holiday season. The donation was part of the Goya Gives campaign, a series of annual donations initiated in 2011 by Goya in honor of its 75th anniversary that serves to encourage others to participate in the message of helping those in need. “For some people the holiday season is a difficult time, and we are grateful for organizations like City Harvest that provide the necessary tools and resources to facilitate food donations,” says Rafael Toro, director of public relations at Goya Foods. “Through our Goya Gives campaign, we have donated over four million pounds of food since the initiation during times of need and in aid to those impacted by natural disasters both at home and abroad, and we will continue to do so each year.” Please share with us your story of how your company is helping to stomp out hunger in the USA.
Eataly Chicago opened on December 2 with a mix of imported Italian foodstuffs and locally-sourced ingredients in the city’s River North neighborhood. It is housed in a two-story, 63,000-square-foot grocery and restaurant complex, featuring 23 different dining options, including a gelato stand, a Nutella stand, a pizza stand, a pasta maker, a pastry shop, a brewery, a meat market, a fishmonger, a bread shop, a wine shop, cooking classes, a cookbook store, a cheese counter and a vegetable-centric eatery. The grocery vendors sorted by category are interspersed with several restaurants. Business partners include superstar chef Mario Batali, PBS chef and Italian cooking star, Lidia Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich, a judge on Fox TV’s “MasterChef,” and Batali’s longtime business partner. They also own Eataly New York in partnership. Eataly New York, which opened in August 2010, made $70 million its first year, the partners say, and is now one of the most-visited tourist sites in New York City. Eataly Chicago is 13,000 square feet larger and has nine more dining options than the one in New York. According to Batali, Chicago was chosen as the next U.S. location for Eataly after New York because it is “the most progressive restaurant city in the country.” The first Eataly opened in 2007 in Turin, Italy, and there are now 17 locations, most of them in Italy and Japan. Eataly was founded by Italian entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti and is sponsored by Slow Food. Here’s the big surprise for all of us in the Delaware Valley: Philadelphia is next on the list to get an Eataly! I have heard rumblings about different locations, but at press time, nothing has been announced. Keep an eye here for the big announcement.
Save the date of April 10, 2014. Golden Slipper Camp, which gives children from under-privileged families the opportunity to have the experience of a lifetime in the Poconos, has announced its Angels of the Year for 2014: Jeff and Sandy Brown of Brown’s ShopRites. The location of the event will be announced shortly.
Tom Canuso has retired from Turkey Hill after 40 some years in the food business. A graduate of Saint Joseph’s University with a degree in food marketing, he began his career at Commonwealth Food Brokers, then moved on to Breyer’s/Kraft. In 1981 he landed at Turkey Hill and remained there until the end of October 2013. He was brought in to develop and expand the ice cream business. There were 50 employees back then. When he retired from the position of VP Sales, there were over 800 employees at Turkey Hill. Happy trails, Tom! Hope to see you out and about in the trade!
Birthday shout-outs for the sparkling month of December go to: Larry Rothwell, Pennington Quality Market; Paul McGurkin, ESM/ Integrity; Jay Gordon, Sales Management Partners; Dorothy Hamilton, Acme Markets; Linda Naddeo, HP Hood; and Lane Gordon, Key Impact Foods. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Celebrating wedded bliss this month are: Pat and Anthony Maglio, Maglio Sausage Co.; and Russ and Joan Reynolds, Supervalu. Congratulations!
Merry Christmahanakwanzika from all of us at Food Trade News. No matter how you celebrate this holiday season, please remember our troops at home and abroad who continue to keep us safe; remember to give to those who have less than we do; find joy in the gift of family and friends and enjoy continued health and happiness in 2014! Buon Natale!
Quote of the month: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela
