Food for Families

Origins:

As a food retailer, TOPS Friendly Markets realized the importance of being a direct conduit for our local food banks and the customers in the communities our stores serve. In 2006 Food 2 Families was started in Buffalo, NY. Food 2 Families is a one day food drive that allows TOPS the opportunity to educate our customers about the increased local hunger needs.We are able to use our stores as a convenient way for customers to make a donation directly to their local food bank. Donations are accepted in many forms: cash donations are accepted at the registers, customers can bring nonperishable food from home and drop them in a bin located on the front end, they can purchase a nonperishable food item from the list that we provide to them while shopping (The list contains the nutritious items most needed by that local food bank.), or they can purchase a Little Brown Bag of Hope at the register. A Little Brown Bag of Hope is a pre-configured, brown paper bag filled with nutritious items that are highly requested by the local food bank. Once purchased the bags are then placed in a bin on the front end of the store. Once the program was well underfoot it was then rolled out to other TOPS Friendly Markets as the Food for Families food drive in Rochester, NY, Syracuse, NY, Southern Tier, NY and Erie, PA. A total of 171 stores participated in support of their local food bank in 2016 and this campaign will repeat in 2017.

Contribution:

TOPS Friendly markets encourages local media, businesses, and schools to participate in the one day food drive. School choirs are encouraged to come to the store's and perform the day of the event. TOPS makes a corporate nutritional food donation the day of the event to the local food banks. TOPS encourages our vendors to participate as well.

Objectives:

The program objectives are to help raise the level of awareness and understanding of hunger, and the need to STOP hunger in the communities our stores serve. Our TOPS Friendly Markets corporate philanthropic mission is to: Help eradicate hunger and improve the quality of life for children. This program allows TOPS Friendly Markets the opportunity to make a difference. TOPS objective is to also make donating a convenient and highly accessible process for customers. Customers may not be as apt to drive to a food bank to make a donation, but they do come grocery shopping.

Impact:

• In 2016: Over $185,00 was donated
• Over 38,000 little brown bags of hope were donated
• This equates to over 1.4 million meals being provided to area food banks

Quote:

“Helping to eradicate hunger in the communities we serve is a part of Tops’ core mission,” said Frank Curci, Tops chairman and chief executive officer. “It is important that we help our neighbors, especially at this time of the year and we are committed to this food drive on an annual basis to raise support for the local food banks, in the communities we serve.”

"It is hard to find the right words to truly convey how grateful we are for those who have helped make this fantastic event possible, and this year is no different. Please know how much we appreciate your support as we continue to fight hunger one day at a time. Your dedication and spirit are invaluable to us and we want to share some of the way your gift has positively impacted our community: procure and distribute nearly 1 million meals monthly to men, women, and children who continue to struggle for basic necessities, provide nutritious food and resources to as man as 129,000 individuals in a month, including 45,000 children and nearly 17,000 senior citizens. You have made a positive difference in the community and we are so grateful for your support and kindness." - Thank you note from Food Bank of WNY

Support Statement:

"It is hard to find the right words to truly convey how grateful we are for those who have helped make this fantastic event possible, and this year is no different. Please know how much we appreciate your support as we continue to fight hunger one day at a time. Your dedication and spirit are invaluable to us and we want to share some of the way your gift has positively impacted our community: procure and distribute nearly 1 million meals monthly to men, women, and children who continue to struggle for basic necessities, provide nutritious food and resources to as man as 129,000 individuals in a month, including 45,000 children and nearly 17,000 senior citizens. You have made a positive difference in the community and we are so grateful for your support and kindness." - Thank you note from Food Bank of WNY