Giant/Carlisle recently announced a $3 million donation to 2,057 public and private schools through its A+ School Rewards program for 2013-2014 school year. Since the program launched in 2005, more than $19 million has been donated to local schools throughout participating markets in four states where Giant and Martin’s stores operate.
And recently Martin’s made a donation of 55,000 apples to FeedMore’s Central Virginia Food Bank to help feed the hungry in the local community. This donation signals Martin’s continued participation in the Take a Bite Out of Hunger Program sponsored by FirstFruits Marketing of Washington.
Fresh Fruits Marketing of Washington created The Take a Bite out of Hunger campaign to help feed the under served while bringing attention to the problem of food insecurity in the United States.
Weis Markets recently announced its associates helped raise $122,000 in customer donations for 100 local pet shelters and rescue organizations during its months long Paws for Pets check off and donation program. The Weis Markets store in Newton, NJ was the chain leader, raising a combined 3,603 in combined donations for One Step Closer Animal Rescue, a pet shelter located in nearby Sparta, NJ. During the four week program the store also held 60 pet adoptions. According to Brian Holt, Weis Markets’ vice president of advertising, marketing and public relations, the company has raised more than $122,000,for locally based pet organizations in 2014 and have raised nearly a million dollars in contributions and product donations since 2008.
We were saddened to learn last month of the death of M. Tyler Kohler, a principal of the former Baltimore-Washington food brokerage firm of Kohler, Gore & Muchnick. He retired from the food brokerage business in 1995 and, along with his wife Betsy, moved to Waitsfield, VT where he had built a home in 1988. He leaves his wife of 62 years and five children and eight grandchildren. Anyone wishing to honor his memory can make a donation to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at michaeljfox.org.
On a personal note, Tyler was one of the first food brokers Jeff and I called on after buying Food World in 1978. To us he was the epitome of a true “Southern gentleman.” He was very supportive of our efforts with Food World and was one of the first brokers to support us with advertising.
Giant/Landover recently announced that it is offering a full range of health offerings for customers traveling abroad through its travel health clinic. Specially trained pharmacists will staff the Giant Food Travel Health Clinics offering customers pre-travel consultations including current and destination specific recommendations. Depending on the destination, recommendations can include immunizations, medications and specific health advice to prevent and treat illness while traveling. Among the vaccinations the travel health clinic can administer include those to prevent malaria, hepatitis, measles, typhoid, and polio. The cost per visit is $30. The Travel Health Clinic is available in 15 Giant Food locations.
Diversified Communications, producer of North America’s largest trade event, reports that this year’s edition of Seafood Expo North America Seafood Processing North America was the largest in its existence. Held March 16-18 in Boston. MA, the exposition spanned 197,430 net square feet at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, an increase of six percent over last year’s event. 1,113 companies representing a nine percent increase from last year, exhibited to display their seafood products, equipment, and services and more than 20,000 seafood professionals attended the exposition. Next year’s event will be held March 15-16, 2015 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
Food Lion, as part of its Food Lion Feeds program, sent 30 employee volunteers and more than 13,000 pounds of food to the Baltimore Food Bank recently to pack 700 summer Hunger Boxes of food for insecure children and their families. Their goal was to promote awareness of hunger during the summer season “…because one in five children in the Baltimore area….struggle with hunger,” according to Christy Phillips-Brown, director of external communications and community relations at Food Lion.
The 700 boxes were distributed by Food Lion at Brehms Lane Elementary Sschool in Baltimore.
For years, Food Lion has been supporting the Maryland Food Bank contributing both food and money but this was the first time the volunteers were able to actually hand out the boxes to the children.
Since 1979, when The Maryland Food Bank was formed, it has struggled to fight hunger in Maryland. Over the last seven years the food bank has more than tripled its food distribution, and in 2013 they set a new record with the distribution 28.8 million meals to families in need. The Maryland Food Bank serves 22 counties—all of Maryland except for Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, which are served by the Capital Area Food Bank. The Maryland Food Bank is always in need of volunteers. If any of our readers would be interested in volunteering, contact either the Maryland, Virginia or the Capital Area Food Bank.
Only a few of our readers will remember Jim Therrien of Alpo Pet Foods, but many have heard of his great sales ability while he worked for Alpo. Since retiring, Jim has sold real estate in Hampton, NH. Apparently he has been successful. A couple of our readers who knew him sent us a clipping from the local newspaper in Hampton, NH. The clipping reads in part, “Jim Therrien, a realtor with Masiello Better Homes and Gardens, was named ‘2014 Realtor of the Year’ by the by the Seacoast Board of Realtors at their annual Awards Luncheon at the Portsmouth, NH Elks Lodge.” Jim is just one of the many who have left the food industry and have gone on to become successful in other endeavors. It just proves that if you make it in the food business you can make it anywhere. (Memo to Jim …I hope you’re still receiving Food World because a lot of people are still following your career!)
The above is just an example of why so many men and women love the food industry. It’s a great industry and the people in the industry are all “sales” people.
We are saddened to report the death of Inge Hofmeister, 81, a resident of Severna Park who died on June 22, 2014. Inge was preceded in death by her husband, Charlie Hofmeister who was a well known figure in the Mid-Atlantic food industry, having worked in executive capacities for Pantry Pride, A&P and Super Fresh. Their son Steve is the manager at the Clarksville, MD Giant Food. Inge is also survived by son Michael of Bel Air, MD; Thomas of Austin, TX; two sisters, Helga Dahlem and Anna Hartman both of Germany; and 14 grandchildren. Online condolences may be made at www.barrancofuneralhome.com.
If you’re reading this column this month, parts of it were written in Massachusetts, as Kathy and I are spending the summer on beautiful Cape Cod in the lovely town of Orleans. If you have never experienced the charm and beauty of Cape Cod, you should schedule a vacation in the area. We love it in the summer but it is also a very beautiful place during the winter, especially during the Christmas season. Personally I’m looking forward to visiting my favorite “watering hole” on Cape Cod, Land ‘Ho, which is located in Orleans just, a stone’s throw from our condo.
Let Food World know where you spent your vacation this summer and we’ll write about it in the upcoming cold and snowy months.
Enjoy the summer and the beautiful (and sometimes humid) weather we have in the Mid-Atlantic!