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Wednesday, 28 January 2009 |
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Staff photo/Mary Bargdill
Chief Supermarket employee Erica Weaks rings up the order for customer Sandy Brown of St. Marys, who purchased a $4.99 bag of groceries to be donated to local food banks.
By MARY BARGDILL
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — A local grocery store and its customers are doing their part to be a good neighbor to residents in need.
Chief Supermarket sponsored Good Neighbor Day at all 13 store locations in northwest Ohio Tuesday, during which a portion of sales will support more than 150 food banks in 11 counties through the Western Ohio Food Bank. Chief Supermarket also encouraged customers to donate non-perishable food items.
Food donated at the Chief Supermarket located in the St. Marys Shopping Square will benefit the food pantry at Agape Ministries Inc., of St. Marys, as well as Mercer Unlimited and Loaves and Fishes, both located in Wapakoneta.
All money raised in Auglaize and Mercer counties will remain local Chief Supermarket spokesperson Annette Hoeffel said.
Hoeffel noted this is the first year Chief Supermarket sponsored the
Good Neighbor Day and that it was in response to the demand created by the current economic hardship so many Ohioans are facing.
“(It’s a) combination of our operating philosophy which is to be a good neighbor and to help make this a good place to live,” Hoeffel said.
St. Marys Chief Supermarket Store Director Scott Adams said the Good Neighbor Day was going even better than anticipated.
The store began selling pre-bagged groceries that consisted of a jar of peanut butter, three cans of vegetables and three boxes of macaroni and cheese for $4.99 as early as Monday.
“I’m having a great response with this,” Adams said. “We were hoping to sell 100 bags and we’re way over that. I think with the economy — those with jobs are helping.”
Adams noted that by Tuesday morning, Chief Supermarket had already sold 59 of the pre-packaged bags as well as 37 of the $1 coupons for the Western Ohio Food Bank which will feed two people for three days.
Customers were also welcome to make a monetary donation toward local food banks or the Western Ohio Food Bank.
Volunteers and employees of Agape Ministries Inc. were on hand at Chief Supermarket from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Agape Ministries, Inc., Executive Director Kathy Bayless thanked customers as they donated bags of groceries.
“The food bags go directly to the two food banks here in Auglaize County, Agape and Mercy Unlimited,” Bayless said.
“We have such a caring community. They genuinely want to help.”
Some food items in the greatest demand include cereal, peanut butter, tuna and pasta.
“Pasta is a great way to extend food,” Bayless said. “Canned meat is invaluable.”
Non-food items such as shampoo, soap, baby wipes and diapers also fly quickly off the shelves at the food pantry, Bayless said.
Because Agape does not purchase non-food items for clients, the food bank relies on those items to be donated from members of the community.
“You can’t purchase those with food stamps,” Bayless said. “A lot of times those are the first items to go.”
Near the checkout counters, a table with assorted goods of cereal, pasta, shampoo and soap gave customers a chance to quickly grab an item or two, many of which were a dollar or less.
St. Marys resident Sandy Brown purchased a $4.99 bag of non-perishable groceries that she knows will benefit someone less fortunate than her.
“I’m just glad that I have enough to eat and I can help someone out at this time of need,” Brown said.
Funds raised from the Chief Supermarket located in Celina will benefit the CALL (Community Action Life Line) Food Pantry and OUR Home, both of Celina.
The Chief Supermarket in Coldwater will donate their proceeds to the Holy Trinity Food Pantry, located in Coldwater. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 02 February 2009 )
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