Local Stop and Shop team breaks ‘most turkey’s donated’ world record

A local Stop & Shop team donated 120,000 total pounds of turkey to four New England hunger relief organizations — breaking a Guinness World Record and distributing meals to thousands of families ahead of Thanksgiving.

This week’s event was part of the store’s month-long Turkey Express program to donate food to hunger relief organizations heading into the holiday.

“The deliveries will shatter the previous Guinness World Record and will support children and families throughout New England who continue to suffer from hunger and food insecurity this holiday season,” the store release said.

The record-breaking donation day kicked off when The Farmlink Project provided 7,500 turkeys for the effort.

Teaming up with Boston-native chef and entertainer Nick DiGiovanni, the Stop & Shop troupe hit the Community Food Bank of Rhode Island, Worcester County Food Bank, Greater Boston Food Bank and Yawkey Boys & Girls Club.

At Roxbury’s Yawkey Boys & Girls Club, the final stop, the team delivered an enormous 8,000 pounds of turkey.

Food insecurity, the release stated, has become “an issue more important than ever in the face of inflation and rising food costs.”

In Massachusetts, the rate of food insecurity hit 16.6% in September, nearing the May 2020 peak of 19.6% and about doubling the pre-pandemic rate of 8.9%, according to Project Bread data. For children, the rate is significantly higher, hitting 21.5% in September.