Wegmans in Fairfax has launched its Check out Hunger campaign benefiting Food for Others.
From now through December 14, when shoppers check out at Wegmans in Fairfax, cashiers will give them the option to add a donation to Food for Others.
For several years, Check out Hunger has helped Food for Others fight food insecurity and hunger in Northern Virginia. Wegmans shoppers’ extra dollars and rounded change quickly add up. Check out Hunger has raised thousands of dollars for FFO in the past and the Fairfax Wegmans store has its aim set high for this year.
“The goal is to raise $50, 000,” said Wegmans Service Area Manager, Dan Listrani. “And we’re already on pace to beat that this year.”
Wegmans contributions to Food for Others go far beyond the seasonal Check out Hunger campaign. The regional, family-owned company’s commitment to fighting hunger and reducing food waste has made the grocer one of Food for Others’ top supporters.
Wegmans is consistently one of FFO’s biggest food donors. Each year, Wegmans Fill the Bus campaign plays an important role in re-stocking FFO’s shelves at the end of the summer before the start of the new school year. This year, FFO received more than 17,000 pounds of food from Fill the Bus, including some of our most needed items like peanut butter, canned tuna and mixed vegetables.
The supermarket chain has donated over 90,000 pounds of food to FFO so far this year, and that number will continue to rise as Food for Others picks up donations from Wegmans daily.
Through Wegmans’ Perishable Pick Up Program, Food for Others staff and volunteers visit nearby Wegmans stores to pick up food items like bread, cheese, yogurt, meat, and produce which is still safe to eat but can no longer be sold due to its “sell by” date.
Wegmans’ food recovery programs like the Perishable Pick Up Program not only fight food insecurity but they also play a major role in reducing food loss and food waste in the United States.
Wegmans has an impressive commitment to reducing food waste— the grocer is one of just 25 companies on the USDA’s list of U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, meaning it has made a public commitment to cut food loss and food waste in its operations by 50 percent by 2030.
Listrani explained that local Wegmans stores like the one in Fairfax are fully committed to both fighting food waste and giving back to those in need in Northern Virginia. “A part of Wegmans values is impacting the communities we serve,” he said. “Helping the community only allows it to grow and be better.”
