Supermarket supports FoodBank HOWELL - The Stop & Shop supermarket at Route 9 and Lanes Mills Road has announced that it will donate $1,781 to the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties through its annual Food for Friends program. "This was another great year for Food for Friends," said Bill Holmes, EVP of Operations for Stop & Shop. "People who are in need this holiday season will benefit from the generosity of our customers and the hard work of our associates." According to a press release, the Food for Friends program raises funds through sales of paper turkeys and other fundraising events held at Stop & Shop stores. As a company, Stop & Shop raised a total of $1 million to support hunger relief efforts thanks to the efforts of Stop & Shop customers and associates. "Our customers and associates really embraced the spirit of this holiday season," Holmes said. "It seems that whenever we get behind a cause, they're always willing to help." All of the $1 million raised through this year's Food for Friends program, which includes a $150,000 donation from American Express, will go directly to local and regional food banks in Stop & Shop's operating states. Holmes praised this year's program for the way it encourages partnerships between Stop & Shop stores and local hunger relief organizations. "Food for Friends directly impacts each community in which Stop & Shop operates and gives each store the opportunity to form a lasting partnership and make a difference," Holmes said. This year, Food for Friends was held in conjunction with the Stop & Shop Turkey Express program. Turkey Express donated more than 17,000 turkeys to food banks throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamp-shire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, based in Quincy, Mass., employs more than 58,000 associates and operates 385 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hamp-shire, New York and New Jersey.