Stop & Shop kicks off turkey donation program

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. said it will donate 20,000 Thanksgiving Turkeys to local hunger relief organizations through its annual Turkey Express Program, an initiative designed to combat hunger in the region.

All told, the Quincy-based chain said it expects to deliver roughly 280,000 pounds of turkey to food banks and other hunger relief groups in such places as Boston, Providence, and Worcester. The program officially kicked-off today with Stop & Shop associates loading 10,000 turkeys into two trucks bound for food banks, the chain said.

In addition to its Turkey Express program, Stop & Shop said it is encouraging customers to help raise money for local food banks by participating in its Food for Friends program through in-store donations and a corporate matching program; the hoped-for goal is to raise more than $1 million.

“We want to make it easy for families to share a meal together this Thanksgiving,” Faith Weiner, Stop & Shop's senior director of public affairs, said in a statement. "The need is great, and Turkey Express is a simple way to give back to the communities and families we serve." (Globe Staff)