Sweetbay Supermarket Donates nearly 60 tons of Food to Feed the Hungry in Tampa Bay

Sweetbay Supermarket shoppers donated a record number of food items during the grocer's annual holiday Box Out Hunger campaign, which were distributed to area food banks.

By Candace Rotolo

Sweetbay Supermarket customers purchased a record number of food boxes during the grocer’s annual holiday event, Box Out Hunger.

Between November and December, 25,000 boxes filled with non-perishable food items were purchased and donated to area food banks, including Feeding America Tampa Bay. Customers also had the option of purchasing boxes to personally donate to their favorite non-profit group, or an area family in need.

The Box Out Hunger campaign, in partnership with FOX 13, started on November 1 and was scheduled to end on December 31. However, response was so great, the pre-packaged boxes sold out in mid- December.   Each box contained non-perishable items including canned tuna, green beans, pasta, cereal and peanut butter, among others.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our shoppers,” said Nicole LeBeau, Sweetbay Supermarket spokesperson. “We know so many families are struggling, and customers not only made Box Out Hunger a success, they made a difference in the lives of their neighbors.”

“We are grateful to Sweetbay and the generous residents of Tampa Bay for donating to Box Out Hunger and helping us achieve our mission: Ending Hunger, Nourishing Hope,” added Pat Rogers, CEO of Feeding America Tampa Bay.

Since the inception of Sweetbay in 2004, the company has sponsored a holiday food drive, donating in excess of 7 million lbs. of food annually to fight hunger. For more information, log onto www.sweetbaysupermarket.com