Keene, NH – For kids, summer should mean fun, but for the 22 million children in the U.S. who depend on free or reduced-price meals offered in school, it can mean worrying about not getting enough to eat. To help with that, C&S Wholesale Grocers has donated paper goods to support summer meals programs for kids since 2011. While the company originally sought to donate food, it quickly became apparent that summer meals programs, the types of food served, and the reimbursement processes are structured, complex, and differ from place to place. For those reasons, C&S decided to fill a niche by donating products for which the programs are not typically reimbursed—the paper goods needed to serve meals, including plates, napkins, cups, bowls, and bags. By receiving a donation of paper goods, the summer meals programs can allocate resources to reach more kids and offer additional enrichment activities.
For the past six years, the company has provided donated paper products to an estimated 797 summer meal sites, reaching 47,000 children from low-income families. In all, more than 7,800 cases of items have been donated, helping to make approximately 1.8 million meals possible.
This year, C&S expanded support to summer meals sites where the company has a presence and partnered with the following nonprofit organizations in 11 states:
- California: Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties
- Connecticut: Foodshare
- Florida: Feeding America Tampa Bay, Feeding Northeast Florida, Feeding South Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
- Hawaii: Hawaii Food Bank
- Indiana: Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
- Louisiana: Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans
- Pennsylvania: Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts: Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
- New Hampshire: The Community Kitchen, ConVal School District
- South Carolina: Harvest Hope Food Bank, Lowcountry Food Bank
- Vermont: Vermont Food Bank
Additionally, C&S provided support to four national nonprofit organizations—Feeding America, Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry, FoodCorps, and First Book—with the aim of making families aware of summer meals programs across the United States and providing the kids with top-quality educational materials and books to keep them coming back.
About C&S Wholesale Grocers
C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., based in Keene, NH, is the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S., and the industry leader in supply chain innovation. Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, supplying approximately 6,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases, and institutions with over 170,000 different products.
C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to fight hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company’s employees and facilities. To learn more, visit http://community.cswg.com.