Usually it is a sports star or a celebrity who gets his or her face on a cereal box.
But this year, Angelica Cummings and Rochelle Harvey, two employees at the ShopRite of Metro Park in Jersey City, got their bit of immortality when their faces were chosen to be featured on a special edition Cheerios cereal box.
They didn’t score touchdowns or hit home runs. Cummings and Harvey helped to feed the hungry in New Jersey via a yearly competition between ShopRite stores throughout the northeast United States to raise the most money for local food banks.
According to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, more than one million hungry New Jersey residents need assistance meeting their basic nutritional needs.
Local ShopRite stores participated in a five-week fundraising effort. Employees in each local store tried to find creative ways of raising money. The Bayonne store reportedly held a book drive, something that was the first for the contest. In Jersey City, the store employees used a variety of fundraising events, such as hotdog sales.
Raising $22,450, the Jersey City store came in second among all the 250 competing stores, and first among the group of stores owned by Inserra in Bayonne, North Bergen, and in other towns in New Jersey.
ShopRites owned by the Inserra family have been on the forefront of fighting hunger since the program started in 1999.
A group effort
Jim Mooney, manager of the Metro Park store, called the fundraising “a group effort” that not only came in second this year, but achieved a similar distinction last year.
“And we want to keep it going for next year,” Mooney said.
With a flourish of balloons, store workers joined representatives from General Mills, members of the Inserra family, Mayor Steven Fulop, and staff members from the city departments involved with nutrition to celebrate the accomplishment. They applauded Cummings and Harvey who, nominated by fellow employees, will have their faces on the Cheerios box this year.
“This is a partnership between the Inserra family, our associates, our customers, all worked very hard to help those who go hungry.” – Lawrence Inserra
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Most of the money raised benefited the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and $3,000 was also donated to Women Rising in Jersey City.
Lawrence R. Inserra Jr., chairman and CEO of Inserra Supermarkets, said it was an effort of numerous people.
“This is a partnership between the Inserra family, our associates, and our customers, [who] all worked very hard to help those who go hungry,” Inserra said. “It’s shocking to hear about how many people go without food, something that is a shame in our wonderful country.”
Mayor Fulop said it is efforts like this that help to change the dynamic and to make sure people have enough to eat.
“This is not the only thing we’re working on with the Inserra family and ShopRite,” Fulop said. “They have been terrific partners.”
The Inserra family has been involved with the ShopRite Partners In Caring program, providing hope to the hungry in communities, for more than 15 years
ShopRite Partners in Caring started in 1999 in conjunction with Wakefern Food Corporation. The corporation has 50 families in its ShopRite cooperative. Each year, more than 250 stores in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland compete, raising funds for a local charity as well as the area food banks.
The friendly competition is sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills. Last fall the effort successfully raised in five weeks more than $127 million to support regional food banks in communities served by ShopRite stores.
Each of the winning stores was rewarded with the selection of two ShopRite associates to be featured on a special-edition Cheerios box.
These customized boxes, sold exclusively at ShopRite, will be unveiled at in-store celebrations. Additionally, each winning store was awarded funds ($3,000 for the top five stores, and $500 for the remaining winning stores), that will be presented to local food pantries chosen by their store team.
To feed and to inform
Cummings said she was involved in selling hotdogs and said customers were very generous. Some stores sponsored a charity softball game and held raffles.
“Everybody is working for a good cause,” Mooney said.
About 75 of the store’s 275 employees were actively involved in the program.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.