Neither Market Basket’s picketing employees, shoppers nor corporate leaders are happy right now, but the state’s food pantries are doing better than usual at a time of the month when food stamps are spent and demand is high.
That's because local Market Baskets are donating their nearly expired products to food pantries.
Bruce Wilson, Director of Operations at the New Hampshire Food Bank, says Market Basket has provided financial support in the past, but doesn’t ordinarily donate products. Over the last week or two, Wilson says, Market Baskets have donated 150,000 pounds of food to the New Hampshire Food Bank, and yet more to individual food pantries.
Wilson says donations include "protein items, fresh produce, dairy and bakery items." The additional milk, he says, has been especially helpful.
Wilson points out that although the food bank appreciates the donations, his organization is also "concerned for all the employees that are affected and all those that do business with Market Basket."