SYRACUSE, N.Y. (April 11, 2024) – American Dairy Association North East is pleased to announce its partnership with SHOPPERS Food for a Mother’s Day campaign to provide fresh milk to Maryland and District of Columbia families in need.

The Fill A Glass With Hope® campaign kicks off at all SHOPPERS Food locations on Thursday, April 11th and will run through Thursday, May 16th. Customers can make a $1, $3 or $5 donation at check-out. All donations will be used to purchase fresh milk for the Capital Area and Maryland food banks.

“Each year, in honor of Mother’s Day, we partner with the Fill A Glass With Hope® program to help mothers provide nutritious milk for their families,” said Jeff Bleichner, Vice President and General Manager of SHOPPERS Food.

“As we continue to be committed to help communities through our charitable giving programs at SHOPPERS, we are hopeful that we provide access to nutritious milk and more wholesome meals. This program continues to make a difference in the lives of families in the areas we serve,” Bleichner said.

“Despite the improvements our economy has seen in the last year, that recovery hasn’t happened equally for over a million of our neighbors in the greater Washington region who still face challenges putting food on the table,” said Molly McGlinchy, Deputy Chief of Programs and Innovation at the Capital Area Food Bank.

“Our partnerships with retailers like SHOPPERS, and the dairy farmers they work with, are more critical than ever in helping us meet the needs of our community with nutritious, protein rich foods,” McGlinchy said.

“Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks, but one of the least donated due to perishability,” said American Dairy Association North East Health and Wellness Specialist Michelle Barber, MA, RDN, CDN.

“Without milk in the diet, it is difficult to get the recommended essential nutrients for health, especially for children,” Barber said. “Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D in the American diet – nutrients critical to development and growth in children.”

Fill A Glass With Hope® was initiated in 2015 to ensure families in need had access to fresh, nutritious milk to feed their families. Thanks to generous supporters, the program has distributed more than 34 million servings of fresh milk since it began through a network of pantries, soup kitchen, shelters, and feeding programs.

Find out more about the Fill A Glass With Hope® campaign here.

About American Dairy Association

American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) works on behalf of 9,000 dairy farm families in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and northern Virginia. ADANE develops and implements programs that promote milk and dairy products in schools, retail and other channels. We collaborate with health professionals to share science-based nutrition information. Through consumer initiatives, events, digital and media outreach, ADANE strives to connect people with the farmers and the dairy community behind the real, nutrient-rich, and responsibly produced dairy foods they enjoy. Funded by dairy checkoff dollars, ADANE is the state and regional affiliate of the National Dairy Council® and works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™ to bring a fully funded promotion program to the North East region. For more information, visit AmericanDairy.com

About Shoppers

Shoppers Food, which began in 1949 as Jumbo Food Stores, became part of the United Natural Foods, Inc. family in 1999. Shoppers is proud to serve the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia markets, offering a full-service supermarket with everything consumers have come to expect from a grocer while never forgetting their “Everyday Low Warehouse Pricing” roots. Learn more at shoppersfood.com. “Like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/Shoppers and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/shoppers.