Gift to support purchase of groceries
BARRE – Hannaford Supermarket in South Barre recently presented Project Independence with a much welcomed donation. Totaling $1,500 in gift certificates, the gift will be used to offset the cost of groceries for the program which provides a daily breakfast, lunch and snack for roughly 38 participants.
The supermarket chain, which operates in five northeast states, continually supports regional and local non-profit organizations. Recently six of Vermont’s fourteen Hannaford stores conducted a milk drive in conjunction with the Vermont Foodbank. When store manager Jeannette Segale asked her department managers what non-profit the South Barre store should contribute to, the adult day program was at the top of their list.
“We have so much respect for what Project Independence does, for the care they give our elders. We wanted to recognize that,” says Seagle. “We’re always looking for a way to give back to the community.”
For a company whose core business is food, their involvement with the adult day program is one of mutual support. The two have shared a long and satisfying relationship, with the program purchasing the bulk of their groceries from the supermarket, many of which are funded through the center’s Adopt-a-Grocery Week program. Started in 2013, the program is a fundraising effort in which donors can sponsor an entire week’s worth of groceries. Since its inception, it has raised over $7,000 to defray the cost of food.
“Hannaford has been a partner of Project Independence for many years and many of our participant’s families shop there,” says Project Independence director Dee Rollins. “Hannaford truly understands the needs of our elders and supports us with all their hearts in providing the services our participants receive. We are very thankful for their support.”
Partnerships such as the one with Hannaford, along with the Vermont Foodbank, ensure the center maintains its commitment to providing healthy, fresh and delicious home style meals for their participants.
Rollins also noted that Hannaford is not only an excellent partner when it comes to feeding their participants; they are supportive of the program as a whole. Recently they shared with Rollins how they’re just as excited about the recent merger with Gifford as Project Independence is. It’s a merger that secures the future of the organization’s continued care of area elders.
For more information on the Adopt-a-Grocery Week program, please call Project Independence at (802) 476-3630.
