Gordon Reid, president of Ahold Delhaize-owned Stop & Shop, points out to the Boston Globe that health inequities endure at a time when the pandemic still is taking as toll on the state of Massachusetts, a place where close to one-third of adults are struggling to get enough to eat.
“As an organization," he says, "we have a role to play in fighting that.”
The Globe reports that Stop & Shop's latest initiative takes the form of "a 'Community Wellness Space' at its Grove Hall store in an effort to help lower rates of food insecurity and chronic illness in the neighborhood at the intersection of Dorchester and Roxbury.
"The Quincy-based grocer opened the space on Friday, saying it will act as home base for consultations with an in-house nutritionist and a hub for free classes on healthy eating, exercise, and financial planning. The exterior of the space features a 25-foot display of 'better-for-you foods' chosen by a team of registered dietitians. The store also has added 350 new products from Middle Eastern, West Indian, and Caribbean cuisine to cater to the community.
"A new 'Flashfood' program - tested at several Stop & Shop locations outside of Boston - is up and running, too. Through the Stop & Shop app, it offers discounts of up to 50 percent on produce, meat, and dairy nearing its expiration date."
The Globe notes that Stop & Shop also "has spearheaded the creation of in-school pantries at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in April and The Rev. Dr. Michael E. Haynes Early Education Center, opening this month."
