Stop & Shop July fundraiser to support Eastern students
Bloomin' 4 Good helps restock Shawn's Cupboard
Willimantic, CT (06/23/2026) — Stop & Shop will support Eastern Connecticut State University students facing food insecurity throughout the month of July through the "Bloomin' 4 Good" program. During the month-long initiative, Stop & Shop will donate $1 to Eastern's on-campus food pantry, Shawn's Cupboard, for every specially marked $11.99 bouquet of flowers sold in its Willimantic location.
Donations will be used to keep shelves stocked with fresh produce and nonperishable food items, supporting student health and wellbeing year-round. While the pantry is quiet during the summer months, administrators note increased use and need among the student body during fall and spring semesters.
"Every dollar raised will be used to support Eastern students who are experiencing food insecurity," said Michelle Delaney, vice president for Student Affairs. "We are grateful for Stop & Shop's ongoing support and partnership in meeting the needs of our students."
Stop & Shop's Willimantic location has a history of supporting Eastern students. The grocery store donated $10,000 to Shawn's Cupboard in spring 2025 (an increase of $7,500 from the year before) and supported Eastern through two fundraisers in fall 2025 - the Community Bags program and "Bloomin' 4 Good." Before that, Eastern was the recipient of the "Bloomin' 4 Good" program in both spring 2025 and fall 2024.
"Without Stop & Shop and our wonderful benefactors, Shawn's Cupboard would not be able to keep the pantry as full or offer as much of a variety of food to our students," noted Nancy Brennan of Eastern's Campus Ministry, which oversees the student food pantry. "It is through their generosity that students are getting enough to eat, which makes them able to meaningfully engage in their classes and in society."
For more information, contact Stop & Shop "Bloomin' 4 Good" program manager Melissa Hansen at (603) 380-9349 or stopandshop@bloomin4good.com.stopandshop@bloomin4good.com
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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Eastern students in Shawn's Cupboard