NEW JERSEY – Some pro football players did their heavy lifting off the field for a good cause.
New York Giants’ Quarterback Geno Smith, Center Brett Jones, Tight end Jerrell Adams, Placekicker Aldrick Rosas, Cornerback Ross Cockrell, Guard Ethan Cooper and Offensive Tackles Chad Wheeler and Adam Bisnowaty unloaded an 18-wheeler for Stop & Shop, which donated 1,500 turkeys to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
The Turkey Express program, sponsored by Stop & Shop, delivered nearly 21,000 turkeys to hunger-relief organizations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the holiday season.
Almost 900,000 New Jersey families use good banks to help make ends meet, with nearly 300,000 children food insecure.
Local soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters partner with The Community FoodBank of New Jersey to provide food to families across New Jersey.
The stats are staggering. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey reports that:
- 77 percent often choose between paying for utilities and food.
- 73 percent choose between medicine and food.
70 percent choose between housing and food.
- 61 percent choose between transportation and food.
- 35 percent choose between education and food.
- 75 percent purchase inexpensive, unhealthy food as a way to cope.
- 57 percent have a household member with high blood pressure.
· 28 percent have a household member with diabetes.
Individual food banks receive more than $12 million in donations from Stop & Shop. The company combats hunger through its programs like the Turkey Express program and the Food for Friends campaign, which raised more than $1 million in 2017 for more than 300 local hunger-relief organizations.
