Mets Partner with Supermarket to Combat Food Insecurity and Support Local School Food Pantries

***Partnership Launches by Addressing Need at South Ozone Park School***

QUEENS, N.Y., June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop is proud to announce it is now the Official Grocery Store of the New York Mets, joining forces with the team to fight food insecurity across New York City and Long Island. The partnership will focus on Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry Program, which supports more than 260 schools across the company’s five-state footprint with in-school pantries that ensure kids in need have consistent access to healthy food. In New York City, Stop & Shop has donated over $2 million to date to support in-school food pantries at nearly 50 schools, including 15 right in the Mets’ backyard in Queens where food insecurity impacts many borough residents:

• 25% of families in Queens lack reliable access to nutritious food.
• More than 325,000 Queens residents are dealing with food insecurity.
• 20% of children in Queens are food insecure.
• Food pantries and soup kitchens in Queens have reported not having enough food to meet current demand.
• The Federal Government’s proposed cuts to SNAP spending could impact 1.8 million New Yorkers, including 560,000 children.
  

As part of the partnership, the Mets Citi Field Food Truck will make deliveries of hot meals and fresh produce, donated by Stop & Shop, to Stop & Shop’s school food pantries across Queens and Long Island. These efforts are part of a shared commitment to ensuring local families have access to nutritious food and vital resources.

“We’re honored to team up with the New York Mets to take on food insecurity, starting right in Queens,” said Roger Wheeler, President of Stop & Shop. “With team’s deep roots in the community and our shared commitment to ‘Feeding It Forward’ and nourishing families, we believe this partnership will make a meaningful difference where it’s needed most.”

The Mets and Stop & Shop made the partnership announcement at P.S. 045, The Clarence Witherspoon Elementary School in South Ozone Park, Queens, where Stop & Shop presented a commercial refrigerator and a $20,000 donation to support the school’s food pantry, which serves all 473 enrolled students, including 254 children living in temporary housing. This donation brings Stop & Shop’s total contributions to the school to $80,000, including prior support in food, supplies, and gift cards.

“We are so grateful to Stop & Shop for their unwavering support of our school food pantry and to the New York Mets for their generous distribution of fresh produce and meaningful engagement with our students,” said Samantha Severin, Principal, P.S. 45Q The Clarence E. Witherspoon Elementary School. “At P.S. 45Q, many of our families courageously navigate the complexities of poverty—grappling with food insecurity, housing instability, and the daily challenges that accompany limited access to essential resources. For the past five years, the Stop & Shop food pantry has not only addressed an urgent physical need—it has provided a consistent, stabilizing force in our students’ lives, helping to establish a sense of safety, belonging, and dignity within the school community. Partnerships like these serve as a reminder that when institutions come together with purpose, we can mitigate the long-term effects of poverty and create environments where all children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.”

The event featured appearances by Mets alumni, outfielder Endy Chávez, along with team mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met, who engaged with students during a celebration that brought together baseball, community, and nourishment. The Stop & Shop Food Truck distributed popsicles to students, while the Mets Citi Field Food Truck delivered fresh produce for 100 local families, reinforcing the shared mission of combatting food insecurity and supporting communities through accessible nutrition.

“We are excited to launch our partnership with Stop & Shop at P.S. 045 here in Queens,” says Brenden Mallette, the Mets Senior Vice President of Partnerships. “We look forward to supporting these impactful events throughout the year and bolstering communities throughout New York City and Long Island together.”

For more information about Stop & Shop’s School Food Pantry program, visit https://stopandshop.com/pages/school-food-pantry-program.

About Stop & Shop

A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop is focused on delivering a wide assortment of fresh, healthy options at a great value through strong weekly sales and everyday low prices. Its new GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose however they want to shop - whether it's in-store or online, which offers both delivery and same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger and working to ensure no students has to go to school hungry through its Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 54,000 associates and operates more than 350 stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

Contact:
Daniel Wolk        
301-980-3762        
daniel.wolk@stopandshop.com