BETHLEHEM, Pa. — An area supermarket chain's mission to promote healthy hearts and healthy neighbors is getting it a grain of recognition.
ShopRite of Bethlehem raised $12,448 this year for area food banks as part of the annual ShopRite Partners in Caring Cheerios Contest, sponsored in partnership by General Mills.
And a couple of ShopRite’s store associates are being featured on a special-edition box of the popular cereal brand.
- Jessica Pastor and Crystal Garcia, associates with ShopRite of Bethlehem, are being featured on the back of a Cheerios box
- They, alongside other store members, raised more than $12,000 to support area food banks
- The Bethlehem store ranked in the Top 50 of fundraising among more than 300 locations
The special-edition boxes are available now, for $5.99 for two boxes, exclusively at ShopRite stores.
Members of the community gathered at the store Tuesday to celebrate philanthropy and unveil the special-edition cereal box.
“I’m just grateful for the company that I work for, for doing this. Trying to help stop hunger is very important to our community.”Jessica Pastor, catering coordinator with ShopRite of Bethlehem
Jessica Pastor, catering coordinator and eight-year employee, as well as Crystal Garcia, front-end assistant manager and seven-year employee, shared their thoughts after being recognized for spearheading the store's fundraising efforts and being featured on the box.
“I’m just grateful for the company that I work for, for doing this,” Pastor said. “Trying to help stop hunger is very important to our community.”
Garcia said, “It’s something as simple as asking somebody, “Do you want to round up your change? ... So, rounding up your change helps. Every little bit helps.”
'The work of many'
ShopRite President Joe Colalillo said the fundraising outcome required the work of many.
“It’s really a group effort when we fight this hunger,” Colalillo said. “We have General Mills, we have us, we have Wakefern [Food Corporation], then we have the community food banks that do such a great job.
“Our [fundraising leaders] and the store managers, they all come together to make awareness, because I think that’s what’s as important as the money is the awareness.”Joe Colalillo, ShopRite president
“Our [fundraising leaders] and the store managers, they all come together to make awareness, because I think that’s what’s as important as the money is the awareness.”
Pastor and Garcia are pictured on the back of the special-edition boxes alongside selected associates from other Colalillo family-owned stores in locations including Yardley, Bucks County; as well as Greenwich, Flemington and Clinton, New Jersey.
All five of the Colalillo-owned stores came out in the Top 50 of more than 300 locations by raising $65,000 collectively.
As a result, the Bethlehem location also got a $500 check to donate to local food pantries of the store’s choosing.
As the contest’s theme was “Ending Hunger Together,” hundreds of ShopRite stores accepted donations at the checkout counter.
And by the end of the year, over $1 million was raised to assist regional food banks across several states.
The 52 stores with the most donations gathered were chosen to select their associates to be featured on the cereal boxes.
