QuickChek, based in Whitehouse Station, Tyson Foods, Inc. and Convenience Store News partnered to donate a truckload of food to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
The donation of 30,580 pounds of food is equivalent to 152,900 servings. It was made in conjunction of QuickChek being named Convenience Store News' 2016 Foodservice Innovator of the Year.
"We are honoured to be recognised as the industry's Foodservice Innovator of the Year and thank Tyson and Convenience Store News in making this wonderful donation", said QuickChek Chief Executive Officer Dean Durling, whose family-owned company was also named 2016 National Convenience Store Chain of the Year earlier this year.
QuickChek is a long-time supporter of food banks in New Jersey and New York. QuickChek raised $160,000 during the FoodBank's Check-Out Hunger campaign in 2015 and $125,000 in 2014. It is currently participating in the 2016 campaign.
More than 30 volunteers comprised of senior management, support centre staff and store team members will be sorting donations in the FoodBank, located in Hillside, on Thursday as part of their on-going partnership throughout the year.
"QuickChek is really a class act and they richly deserve accolades for continuously improving their food service offer," said Convenience Store News Editorial Director Don Longo.
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, which serves people in need across the state, will distribute the donated food among its network of more than 1,000 community partners including soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters.
"The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is grateful for partners like Tyson Foods for helping us provide healthy food for our neighbours in need," said Karen Leies, vice president of development for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "This donation of much-needed protein will go a long way in feeding families this holiday season.
"We also want to recognise QuickChek's on-going commitment in the fight against hunger. They partner with us on our Check-Out Hunger campaign, volunteer with us and much more."
Tyson Foods' "KNOW Hunger" campaign is focused on helping more people understand and join the effort to eliminate hunger in America. The company partners with Feeding America, Share Our Strength and Lift Up America to raise awareness and help feed the hungry across the nation. Since 2000, Tyson Foods has donated more than 100 million pounds of food in the United States.
In 2015, Tyson Foods pledged $50 million in cash and in-kind donations by 2020 to fight hunger, with a special focus on innovative initiatives at the local level.
"Partnering with organisations like the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is important to us in raising awareness about food insecurity in communities all around the US," said Kevin Miller, senior marketing manager for Tyson Convenience. "Nearly one in five kids in New Jersey is food insecure and the FoodBank distributed more than 43 million pounds of food last year alone. We're honoured to support those extraordinary efforts."
