PENNSAUKEN | Published by The Courier-Post – Dozens of associates from ShopRite of Medford and ShopRite of Lawnside recently helped prepare snacks for the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Summer Meals Program, which aims to feed 8,000 children across four counties at 168 sites over the summer.

The August 3 visit, which included more than 30 associates, also included a site tour and meetings between ShopRite associates and FBSJ leaders to discuss FBSJ programs and needs.

“The importance of corporate partnerships such as these are critical in helping FBSJ act as a better resource for the thousands of food insecure people living in South Jersey,” FBSJ President and CEO Val Traore said in a news release.

She said hunger “is a real issue here” that affects nearly 200,000 individuals — 57,000 of those are children — “and without the support of partners such as ShopRite, we simply could not execute the many programs and services that support our community.”

The visit was in preparation for ShopRite’s focused donation drive in September for the Partners in Caring Program, “a year-round, community-based, hunger-fighting initiative that provides nearly $3 million annually to qualified charitable agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland.” The Food Bank of South Jersey is an annual beneficiary of that program.

“I am thrilled that both of our stores are competitive in their efforts to raise money for Partners in Caring, but I wanted our associates to visit the Food Bank of South Jersey to realize that there is more to this than the competition; the money we raise truly has an impact on our communities,” said David Zallie, owner of ShopRite of Medford and ShopRite of Lawnside.

Among its upcoming Partners in Caring fundraising activities, ShopRite of Medford will host a Labor Day 5K and 1-mile Fun Run/Walk in Medford. The store was the top storeover the last two years in terms of fundraising for Partners in Caring.

Both ShopRite of Medford and ShopRite of Lawnside are also currently selling raffle tickets for a $500 shopping spree, and both will host silent auctions in mid-September, the release said.

Celeste E. Whittaker; (856) 486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com