Cheerios is the breakfast of hunger fighting champions (VIDEO)

Written by SUZANNE MARINO Tuesday, March 05, 2013 02:21 pm

Consumer advocate Orien Reid interviews ShopRite employees Pam Pelligrino and Nick Forcinito about what they did to help the Somers Point store raise over $22,000 to fight hunger.

SOMERS POINT—Consumer advocate, Orien Reid stopped in the Somers Point ShopRite Super Market Monday to draw attention to the effort of the store employees who raised over $22,000 to fight hunger and to unveil a very special box of cereal. As Reid explained; during September, which is National Hunger Awareness Month, ShopRite teamed up with General Mills for their annual Partners in Caring contest between all of the stores in the chain with a little friendly competition to raise money to fight hunger. That friendly competition chain wide raised $1.25 million that will go to local food banks to fight hunger.

The Somers Point store raised the 4th highest amount for individual stores with $22,600. Two employees were singled out for leading the charge and coming up with different ideas to raise money; Peter Forcinito of Vineland and Pam Pelligrino of Egg Harbor Township.
They had hot dog sales, bake sales, invited celebrity baggers like the mayor and city council members and even had a dunk tank. Forcinito said they also asked customers if they wanted to contribute $1 on top of their grocery purchase to fight hunger.
That positive attitude to fight hunger and to help their store raise so much money earned Pelligrino and Forcinito a coveted spot on the back of a Cheerios box that was unveiled at the Somers Point store Monday. “Historically the back of the Cheerios box is reserved for athletes but General Mills has put out a limited edition box that features two employees from each of the 41 winning stores throughout the region. It demonstrates their commitment to Partners in Caring and how important it is to help fight hunger in our communities,” said Reid.
She also shared some staggering statistics about how many children are in food insecure homes and how that affects their ability to learn in school and impedes their ability to succeed.
Each winning Partner in Caring store received a check for $500 to go to the hunger fighting charity of its choice. Because the Somers Point ShopRite was one of the top 5 stores in the chain they received $3,000 and could give that money to the charity of their choice. The employees chose to give the $3,000 to the Grace Lutheran Church Food Pantry. 
George McNally was there Monday to receive the check, given to him by Somers Point ShopRite store director, Nancy Mahoney. McNally said that money would help to fill the shelves in the food pantry and go a long way to make sure local children were not going to bed hungry.