Local company STCR collects donations for The Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse

STCR, a local retail technology company with more than 52 years of experience, has continued its annual tradition of collecting food donations for The Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) of Broome County. Each department in the company held a friendly competition to determine which can raise the most food. 

The company has been able to increase donations year after year in a concerted team effort to support the community. This year, employees of STCR collected 6,155 pounds of food. 

Brian Tuberman, STCR’s president, indicated that the initiative “is a real team effort on behalf of everyone at the company for a very worthwhile cause – one that STCR is proud to support year after year.” 

In Broome County, hunger is a tangible issue. Of an estimated 193,639 residents of Broome County, 16.5 percent live in poverty. More than 8,000 children in the county live in households that struggle to put food on the table, and many find it difficult to receive the services they need. Of the more than 13,000 children enrolled in free / reduced price meal programs (47 percent of all students in the county), only 14 percent (1,893 children) received meals during the summer. 

To combat this issue and make a palpable difference for neighbors in need, STCR donates the following types of food products from CHOW’s “Most Wanted” list each holiday season: meals in a can; tuna or canned chicken; peanut butter; canned food with pop-top lids; canned fruit in its own juice or water; low-sodium canned vegetables; low-sugar whole grain cereals; and healthy snacks like granola bars, nuts and dried fruit.

STCR is no stranger to assisting those in need; the company recently made headlines in their industry for launching a program with its customer Fine Fare in the Bronx, in which SNAP recipients who use their benefits to buy eligible fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits, vegetables and beans will get additional money to buy more eligible fruits, vegetables, and beans. For each dollar spent using SNAP benefits on eligible produce and beans, customers will get an additional dollar, enabling them to buy up to $50 more in produce daily. 

According to Farrell McKenna, general manager at STCR, “We have heard all positive reviews of the program so far, and STCR is happy to be partners with Frank Pimentel, the owner of Fine Fare, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on this new exciting initiative. We are looking forward to continuing to provide value to Frank’s store, the grocers of New York, and a continued partnership with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.”