A team of volunteers from New Jersey-based QuickChek packed 12,513 meals to aid the Island Harvest food bank’s efforts to assist thousands of Long Islanders in need during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Fifteen volunteers from several QuickChek locations sorted and packed 13 pallets containing 431 boxes of perishable and non-perishable food on the morning of July 16 to help Long Island veterans and homebound senior citizens in need. Long Island has the second largest veteran population in the U.S.
Island Harvest’s Senior Mobile Food Pantry delivers food directly to people in need, increasing the availability of nutritious perishable and non-perishable items for people in low income and senior neighborhoods. The pantry is stocked with items such as rice, canned protein, pasta and breakfast items, as well as fresh vegetables, fruits, bread, meat and poultry.
Volunteering assists the food bank in its efforts to pack food, sanitize and restock during the crisis.
QuickChek has a long history of giving back to the neighborhoods and communities it serves. The family-owned company has raised millions of dollars to support a variety of causes benefiting children, families and military veterans and actively supports community food banks across New Jersey, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.
QuickChek has been growing on Long Island and now has six Long Island fresh convenience stores among its 161 store locations throughout the Metropolitan area.
“Our stores have remained open throughout the pandemic as an essential business and as an essential part of our local communities to meet people’s needs for fresh food, products and services in a safe shopping environment,” said QuickChek CEO Dean Durling. “We’re proud to support the food banks throughout the year and through the volunteer efforts of our team members to help our neighbors in need during this crisis.”
A separate team of volunteers from the company’s headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J., and local New Jersey stores performed similar duties last month, packing 19,350 meals to aid the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s Emergency Box Program on June 18.
In addition to supplying much-need manpower through volunteer days at various food banks, QuickChek has raised more than $761,000 in the five years it has been a partner of the annual Check-Out Hunger campaign that takes place ahead of the winter holidays each year.