Weis Markets raises over $200K in Fight Hunger food drive

SUNBURY, Pa. Weis Markets' month-long Fight Hunger food drive generated $210,000 in customer food and monetary donations to local food banks and pantries throughout its five state marketing area. The company will complement its customers' giving with $200,000 in corporate donations to eight regional food banks.

"This year, we offered our customers more giving options which resulted in higher overall donations," said Dave Hepfinger, Weis Markets' president and CEO. "Our combined food and monetary donations -- customer and corporate -- will help provide approximately 328,000 meals to the less the well off in our communities at a time when food bank demand continues to grow."

Weis Markets Fight Hunger food drive ran during Hunger Action Month in September. In addition to product donations, Weis customers made $108,000 in monetary donations, which will be given to the 86 separate emergency food organizations collecting food donations from Weis Markets' stores.

Weis Markets $200,000 corporate donations will benefit: Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast, Pa.; The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (Harrisburg); The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (Williamsport); The Maryland Food Bank; The Commission on Economic Opportunity/The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton); Greater Berks Food Bank (Reading); Food Bank of the Southern Tier (Elmira); Northwest Community Action Program NORWESCAP Food Bank (Phillipsburg, N.J.); and Mountaineer Food Bank (W. Va.).

New this year was the availability of $3, $5 and $10 vouchers which could be purchased at each cash register. Stores also sold new, convenient pre-filled Fight Hunger Donation Bags containing pasta, sauce, fruit, vegetables, tuna, cereal and soup -- all for less than seven dollars.