QUINCY, Mass., June 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In honor of Pride Month, Stop & Shop today announced a donation of $50,000 to seven local organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. Stop & Shop prides itself on being an inclusive workforce and earlier in 2020 earned a designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, receiving a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index.

In addition to the donation, Stop & Shop associates repurposed Pride towels that were intended to be distributed at Pride parades across the Northeast, but the events were cancelled due to the pandemic. The towel giveaways were transformed by Stop & Shop associates into hand-sewn face masks that will be donated to local LGBTQ+ organizations. The grocer also donated several hundred reusable bags this month to local food pantries to assist members of the LGBTQ+ community living with homelessness and HIV/AIDS.

“Each year, we look forward to supporting Pride Parades in our communities. Even though they couldn’t take place this year, Stop & Shop wanted to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community,” shares Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop. “Not only did our associates get out their sewing machines to craft masks for donation, we also identified seven local organization that provide advocacy and education for LBGTQ+ youth to continue to show our support for this community.”

A total of $50,000 will be donated by Stop & Shop to the following local organizations:

Stop & Shop's commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community also extends to its suppliers, which include Peanut Butter & Co., a NGLCC-certified, LGBT-owned supplier and Stonewall Kitchen Products. Both product lines are available at all Stop & Shop stores.

For more information on Stop & Shop’s programs to support local communities, visit https://stopandshop.com/community/.

About Stop & Shop:
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, today’s Stop & Shop is refreshed, reenergized and inspired, delivering new conveniences for customers. Committed to helping its communities enjoy better food and better lives, Stop & Shop has a longstanding history of giving back to the neighborhoods it serves with a focus on fighting hunger and pediatric cancer care and research. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs nearly 60,000 associates and operates over 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

Media Contact:
Maura O’Brien
Manager, External Communications & Community Relations
maura.obrien@stopandshop.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2021ae7-6c90-46ef-9373-e31138ca6622