Long Island, NY - April 22, 2014 - For the fifteenth year in a row, the Wakefern Food Corporation has awarded a generous grant of $60,000 to Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank through its ShopRite Partners in Caring Program.  The ShopRite Partners in Caring dollars are used to purchase food for various food pantries in Long Island Cares' network that are located in towns served by ShopRite stores.

Paule Pachter, Executive Director of Long Island Cares expressed his gratitude for the Wakefern Food Corporation's continued and substantial support.

Since its founding in 1999, the ShopRite Partners In Caring Program has donated $20 million to more than 1,400 charities, including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care centers, battered women's shelters, senior citizen programs, drug rehab centers, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, after-school programs and other organizations that aid those in need.

"It is no surprise that the demand for food support has grown tremendously over the past few years. Fortunately, ShopRite's Partners In Caring donation helps us as we try to keep up with these rising requests for assistance. It is rewarding to work with such a committed corporation and to witness the impact their generosity has had on our communities. There are several local ShopRite owner families who have been extremely supportive towards our community-based pantries and have made a significant impact in the neighborhoods that serve."
 
About Long Island Cares, Inc.
Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank is Long Island's first food bank: serving the hungry on Long Island since, 1980.  Long Island Cares brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry on Long Island and provides emergency food where and when it is needed, and sponsors programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency. The organization was founded by the late singer, songwriter and social activist Harry Chapin in response to the immediate needs of hungry Long Islanders. It is continued today by his wife and partner Sandy Chapin, a dedicated Board of Directors and talented staff working out of their 35,000 square foot facility in Hauppauge and their storefront locations in Freeport and Lindenhurst. Long Island Cares is a member agency of the Food Bank Association of New York State and Feeding America. Long Island Cares, Inc. is recognized by the NYS Department of Health and the USDA as the regional food bank for Long Island.