The donation will help ensure seniors have access to nutritious meals
South Dennis, MA – September 11, 2025 – Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (ESCCI) received a $50,000 grant today from the Stop & Shop Family Foundation, announced during an event held September 9 at the Yarmouth Senior Center. The gift will strengthen ESCCI’s Meals-on-Wheels program at a time of record demand and declining federal support.
Pictured above: Senior Nutrition Program Director Lou Eppers, Community Services Officer Sarah Franey, Nutrition Site Manager Brittany Stout, Stop & Shop Store Manager Adam Smith, ESCCI Chief Executive Officer Maryanne Ryan, Stop & Shop Store Manager Tina Songer, Stop & Shop Director of External Communications and Public Relations Jennifer Brogan, Stop & Shop Manager of External Communications and Community Relations
Food insecurity rose 14% across Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties in 2024, and an estimated one in three older adults in the region lack enough food to stay healthy. National studies show that as many as half of older adults are malnourished or at risk. ESCCI’s Meals-on-Wheels program delivered more than 340,000 meals in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, making it a vital lifeline for older residents across the Cape and Islands.
“We’ve always been grateful for Stop & Shop’s commitment to the local community, but this extraordinary gift from their family foundation will be truly transformational in stabilizing our meals program over the coming year, as demand and costs both continue to rise,” said Sarah Franey, Director of Community Services at ESCCI.
Representatives from Stop & Shop presented the gift at ESCCI’s nutrition site in Yarmouth. Volunteer Meals-on-Wheels drivers were on hand to share how the program helps combat hunger and isolation among older adults.
“At Stop & Shop, we’re committed to supporting organizations that make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors. Elder Services’ Meals-on-Wheels program ensures that older adults across the Cape and Islands have access not only to nutritious meals, but also to the care and connection that come with them,” said Roger Wheeler, President, Stop & Shop. “My family and I spend a lot of time on Cape Cod, and I am proud that Stop & Shop will play a role in helping this vital program continue its important work in serving our community.”
Headquartered in Quincy, Stop & Shop is committed to fighting food insecurity in the communities it serves. Across its home state of Massachusetts Stop & Shop has partnered with community organizations, like ESCCI, to fund programs designed to increase access to nutritious food to its neighbors in need. Additionally, in 2019 Stop & Shop established its signature School Food Pantry Program to help limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom by making sure that they have consistent access to food. The program currently supports 51 in-school food pantries across Massachusetts, including 4 schools on Cape Cod which have received a total of $212,500 over the past few years.
In August, Stop & Shop announced it was lowering the everyday pricing on thousands of products in stores across Eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands, as part of its commitment to make groceries more affordable for local customers. To learn more about Stop & Shop’s commitment to the community visit https://stopandshop.com/feed-it-forward.
About Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands
Founded in 1972, Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to promoting the welfare, enhancing the quality of life, and maintaining the dignity of adults as they age in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties. The organization works through communities and their residents to identify and respond to the needs of elders and their families.
About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop is focused on delivering a wide assortment of fresh, healthy options at a great value through strong weekly sales and everyday low prices. Its new GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose however they want to shop – whether it’s in-store or online, which offers both delivery and same-day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger and working to ensure no students has to go to school hungry through its Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs over 50,000 associates and operates more than 350 stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.