As we settle into our fall routines and begin planning for the holidays during Q4, we must keep top of mind those in our country who don’t have the means to sit together as a family each night or go to bed with a full belly. September is both Family Meals Month and Hunger Action Month, and everyone is called to “Play Your Part”—the theme for Hunger Action Month this year. The food industry continues to fight hunger at all levels, but our retailers, the most generous folks in the industry, participate throughout the year.
During Hunger Action Month, Philabundance is joining the Feeding America network by calling on partners to help advocate for food security. As the cost of essentials like groceries and fuel continues to put pressure on household budgets, everyone can take action to help ensure their neighbors have access to the food they need to thrive. “Together we can end hunger,” said Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America. “It takes people looking out for each other, especially now, as so many families are navigating difficult tradeoffs necessitated by high food prices. This Hunger Action Month, we’re asking everyone to show up for their neighbors facing hunger and play their part. Whether you give, volunteer, speak up, or support your community in another way, your action matters. When neighbors care for neighbors, we strengthen our communities.”
According to the latest data available from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, 48 million people, including more than 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2024—the highest level since 2014. In the communities Philabundance serves, food insecurity ranges from a low of 9,060 in Salem County, NJ, to a high of 274,020 in Philadelphia County. Then there’s Hunger Action Day on September 29, when Feeding America will release the 2026 Elevating Voices: Insights Report, an annual, nationally representative survey of the experiences, concerns, and policy views of people facing hunger in the U.S. “This Hunger Action Month, joining the movement to end hunger helps ensure that everyone, regardless of race, background, or ZIP code, has access to the nutritious food and vital resources they need to thrive in school, at work, in personal relationships, and essentially every aspect of their lives,” said Philabundance CEO Loree D. Jones Brown. “Because when people are fed, futures are nourished, and individuals go from just living to truly thriving.” Amen to that.
Finally, to ring in the holiday season, Philabundance is teaming up with WMMR’s Preston and Steve (and Marissa Magnetta) for Camp Out for Hunger. Returning for its 29th year, Preston and Steve will once again “camp out” for hunger from Monday, November 16, to Friday, November 20. The dynamic morning DJ duo will host the weeklong broadcast blitz and food drive live from the parking lot of the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Preston & Steve’s daily broadcast will also feature local and national celebrities, TV personalities, all-star athletes, and many other dedicated partners who come together each year to fight hunger. Listeners are encouraged to bring food donations and come down to South Philly to experience the fun with friends and family. Let’s do this!
Earlier this month, ShopRite Partners In Caring (SRPIC) announced that it is teaming up once again with Cheerios maker General Mills for its annual Cheerios Contest, a favorite annual fundraiser that brings ShopRite associates together to support local food banks and hunger-relief organizations. Since its launch in 1999, the contest has helped raise critical funds for organizations providing food assistance in communities across the region. SRPIC is a year-round, community-based, hunger-fighting initiative that works with more than 50 food industry manufacturers to provide $3 million annually to qualified charitable agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania—all the states where ShopRite stores operate.
Through Saturday, October 3, ShopRite stores will compete to raise funds for their local hunger-relief organizations, rallying their retail teams and customers to make a difference. This year’s contest theme, Mission: End Hunger, highlights the shared commitment of family-owned ShopRite stores, their associates, customers, suppliers, and community partners to help ensure more families have access to nutritious food. The stores that raise the most money will receive the special honor of having their associates’ photos featured on a limited-edition Cheerios cereal box in March, recognizing their dedication to helping fight food insecurity in their communities. Over the past 25 years, SRPIC has become ShopRite’s signature hunger-fighting initiative, raising nearly $65 million to support more than 2,500 local charities.
“What makes the Cheerios Contest so special is that it turns a friendly competition among stores into an opportunity to make a lasting impact, bringing together our retail teams, community partners, and local leaders to rally around the fight against hunger,” said Alexandra Emery, manager of sustainability and corporate social responsibility for ShopRite. “Our teams embrace the challenge each year with plenty of enthusiasm and team spirit, knowing that their participation helps raise funds for hunger-relief organizations that provide meals and resources to neighbors who need them most.”
Throughout the contest, customers can support the effort by making donations to SRPIC at checkout and participating in special fundraising activities at their local stores. Many participating ShopRite stores will also host Help Bag Hunger events during Hunger Action Month. These community events invite local elected officials, community leaders, and first responders into stores to help bag groceries, engage with shoppers, and raise awareness about food insecurity in their communities. The energy for this contest is contagious. There are huge parties held in the stores once the winners are announced and the presentations are made. The Cheerios Contest serves as both a fundraising and awareness-building campaign. From checkout donations and in-store fundraising events to Help Bag Hunger activities and associate-led initiatives, all efforts during the contest period support SRPIC’s mission to fight hunger and help local hunger-relief organizations meet growing needs.
Healthy Family Project is expanding its retail cause marketing footprint with the launch of its first campaign with Albertsons® Companies, Inc.’s ACME Markets and Safeway stores in the East Region. Running through Oct. 15, the program brings together 13 produce and fresh food brands to inspire meal solutions for customers while helping provide 120,000 meals through Nourishing Neighbors, the charitable program of Albertsons Companies Foundation dedicated to fighting hunger in local communities. “This partnership is a great opportunity to connect our customers with fresh, convenient products that make feeding their families a little easier while also supporting neighbors in the communities we serve,” said Jay Schneider, produce sales manager for ACME Markets and Safeway, East Region. “By bringing together our stores, supplier partners, and Nourishing Neighbors, we’re able to turn an everyday trip to the grocery store into an opportunity to make a meaningful local impact.” Throughout the six-week campaign, shoppers will discover participating products and campaign messaging in select ACME and Safeway stores. In-store displays and radio will highlight fresh, convenient options designed for busy families, from lunchbox additions and after-school snacks to simple sides and weeknight meal solutions. Together, the participating partners represent a broad assortment of fresh produce and family-friendly products, giving customers practical ways to incorporate more fresh food into everyday meals and snacks. “We know families are looking for realistic solutions that work for the way they actually live,” said Amanda Keefer, vice president at Healthy Family Project. “This first campaign with ACME Markets and Safeway stores gives us an exciting opportunity to bring brands together around that need, inspiring fresh choices, providing practical meal solutions, and helping provide 120,000 meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity.” At the heart of the campaign is a shared commitment to addressing food insecurity. The Nourishing Neighbors program works to help end the cycle of hunger by supporting local communities and increasing access to food for families in need. The program has a goal of enabling 1.5 billion meals through 2030 and providing $10 million annually to hunger relief efforts. For the Healthy Family Project, the collaboration reflects its ongoing commitment to bringing retailers and brands together around programs that connect shopper engagement with meaningful community impact. Customers can find the campaign in participating ACME and Safeway stores in the East Region through Oct. 15.
So, there you have it, the most generous people in the retail food industry giving back during Hunger Action Month and every other day of the year. No matter how small the donation is, it counts. What is your company and/or family doing to help fight hunger in your community? Here’s where you can learn more about how you can take action: hungeractionmonth.org.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, by now you all know that Uncle Giuseppe’s is coming to the Delaware Valley, specifically King of Prussia, PA, and Moorestown, NJ. The excitement on social media and coverage in print media has been nothing short of hysteria. Philadelphians have never experienced this kind of supermarket. Yes, we have Eataly and some independent Italian specialty markets, but this is the perfect storm. It’s a regular supermarket, true, but the produce (I found specialty Sicilian squash, cucuzza, at the store in Ramsey, NJ), fresh meat and seafood, prepared food (you must experience it to understand and you will never cook again), and the bakery will knock your socks off! And there’s a café where cappuccino and gelato are enjoyed daily! Everyone’s ready to experience this amusement park of food… But can they make a good hoagie?
The Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization (MAFTO) is celebrating the 90th birthday of Giant Food on Thursday, October 15, at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Maryland. The fall retailer dinner features keynote speeches by Giant Food president Ira Kress and SVP of omnichannel merchandising and chief merchant Tonya Douglas. This is a must-attend event of the fall season. For more information and to register, go to: mafto.org/products/giant-food-fall-retailer-dinner/
Saint Joseph’s University’s (SJU) Department of Food Marketing has announced the 20th annual Food Industry Summit, “Competing for an Evolving Consumer: Culture, Convenience and Conscious Choices,” on Friday, April 16, 2027, on the SJU campus in Philadelphia. We will provide updates announcing speakers as the event gets closer. Registration is already open, so reserve your spot as soon as possible: https://www.sju.edu/departments/food-pharma-healthcare/food-industry-summit
Taking another trip around the sun this pleasant month of September are John Ruane, The Giant Company; Anthony Gigliotti, retired, Boyer’s Markets; Nick Sborlini, Acme Markets; Anne Marie Mozzone, Acme Markets; Meredith McGrath, Redner’s; John Sweeney, Schmidt Baking; Fran Dolan, Herr Foods; Tommy Kovachevich, TMK Produce; Lauren Eni Canseco, Dietz & Watson; and Joe Gardyan, Schmidt Baking. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” John Wooden