FLORIDA, NY (April 19, 2011) – ShopRite Supermarkets Inc., which operates stores throughout Westchester, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam, Middlesex, Sussex and Union counties, and members of Union Baptist Church, today announced a series of fundraising initiatives to assist in the rebuilding of the 100-year old Union Baptist Church in New Rochelle, which was tragically destroyed in a fire on Valentine’s Day.
As part of fundraising initiatives led by ShopRite Supermarkets, its customers and store associates, the money raised will benefit the rebuilding of Union Baptist Church and the continued operation of its Manna Ministry food-distribution program, which has supported over 2,500 families, handed out more than 6,000 bags of food and served 3,000 hot meals every Friday in 2010.
“We are proud to work with Pastor Reginald Hudson and Union Baptist Church congregation on the rebuilding effort,” said Tom Urtz, vice president of human resources and consumer affairs for ShopRite. “The church and its Manna Ministry food distribution program are vital to the New Rochelle area. We feel it is important to give back to a local organization that has given so much to its community”
Established in 1913, Union Baptist Church is one of New Rochelle’s earliest African-American religious organizations. It is currently home to over 250 local parishioners and others who commute from as far as New York City, Fairfield, Putnam and Rockland Counties.
Since the fire that destroyed the building, ShopRite Supermarkets has donated $3,000 to help keep Union Baptist Church’s Manna Ministry food pantry operating. A long supporter of the food pantry, ShopRite Supermarkets has donated in upwards of $6,000 to date. Additionally, its Bedford Hills, White Plains and New Rochelle at Joyce Road store locations will host a check-out donation drive from April 17 through April 23 and collect non-perishable items to support the church’s food-distribution program.
Additional upcoming fundraising efforts include:
“Resurrecting the Church” Union Baptist Church Benefit Concert
A benefit gospel concert featuring performances by Pastor David Wright and the Timothy Wright Memorial Choir, Greater Centennial Choir, Strait Gate Choir, Brothers in Christ, Psalmist Vikki Griffin, Ann Sinclair, Ishmael “Ish” Rouse, Dance Ministry Institute and McCurry Sherman will take place at the Westchester County Center from 6:00 – 9:30PM on Saturday, April 23. The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Ave., White Plains, NY 10607. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling Union Baptist Church at 914-632-3627.
Benefit Concert for Union Baptist Church
A benefit concert featuring performances by the New York Festival Singers and Bethesda Baptist Church Choir will take place from 6:00 – 9:00PM on Saturday, April 30, at the Bethesda Baptist Church, located at 71 Lincoln Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at Bethesda Baptist Church and Trinity St. Paul Monday through Friday between 9:00AM – 3:00PM.
“Taking Steps to Rebuild” 5 K Walk-a-Thon
The Taking Steps to Rebuild Benefit 5K Walk-a-Thon Walk will take place on June 5, starting at 8:00AM at Wildcliff Manor in New Rochelle. The Walk-A-Thon costs $20 per person and includes an outdoor barbeque with food and refreshments from 1:00 – 5:00PM. Registration begins on April 25 at www.ubcr.org.
Donations are currently being accepted. For more information, or questions regarding donations, please visit http://ubcnr.org.
About ShopRite:
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative, based in Keasbey, NJ and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 220 ShopRite Supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than five million customers each week. A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated more than $22 million to 1,500 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999. As a title sponsor of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic, ShopRite has raised more than $22 million for local schools, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.ShopRite.com.
Time to move
Rev.Hudson it’s time for you and the church to take action.Please start to remove the fence on Main street move it back to your property line and reopen the street for parking and the sidewalks for walking.Make a real decesion on the remainder of the church stay or go. Even though the site before the fire was nice to look at ,now it is not so take it down or cover it up. Main street has been dieing for many years and this picture does not help.