Wegmans' customers donate record amount to support summer feeding programs at local food banks

Wegmans press release

Customers of Wegmans Food Markets raised a record-breaking $769,300 during the company’s two-week food drive to support local food banks’ increased summer needs. Known regionally as “Fill the Bus” or “Fill the Backpack,” the campaign ran from June 3-17. Customers donated at checkout with 100% of the proceeds going to support each store’s local Feeding America food bank partner. Companywide, customers donated $43,000 more than in 2025.

“Each year, our customers step up in an incredible way to support their neighbors, and their generosity continues to inspire us,” said Deana Percassi, Wegmans vice president of community engagement and communications. “Our employees are also essential to the success of this program, helping raise awareness and drive donations that make a meaningful difference in the fight against hunger.”

Donations from this campaign support local food banks’ summer feeding and backpack programs, helping ensure school-aged children have access to nutritious food when free and reduced-price school meals are not available.

"We at Community FoodBank of New Jersey are so pleased with the results of Wegmans' ‘Fill the Bus’ campaign this year, which raised enough funds for 57,000 nutritious meals – about 23,000 more than last year," said Elizabeth McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "With food insecurity on the rise, it's heartening to see that support from the public is increasing, too. Thank you to Wegmans and their generous customers for helping advance our mission."

Food bank recipients

Customers’ donations stay in their local community, with all proceeds going to each store’s local food bank. The New York list below includes each recipient food bank, the amount donated in 2026, and the Wegmans store(s) where the money was raised:

• Campaign Against Hunger – $702 (Brooklyn)
• City Harvest – $1,569 (Astor Place)
• Food Bank for NYC – $1,569 (Astor Place)
• FeedMore WNY – $178,044 (11 stores in the Greater Buffalo area)
• Foodlink – $160,396 (21 stores in the Greater Rochester area)
• Food Bank of the Southern Tier – $53,236 (Corning, Elmira, Hornell, Ithaca and Johnson City)
• Food Bank of Central New York – $26,067 (9 stores in the Greater Syracuse area)
• Island Harvest – $828 (Lake Grove)
• Long Island Cares – $828 (Lake Grove)
• Feeding Westchester – $5,057 (Harrison) 

Since its inception in 2013, Wegmans’ “Fill the Bus”/“Fill the Backpack” campaign has raised more than $3.5 million (2021-present), and customers have donated more than 3.7 million pounds of food (2013-19) for hunger relief. In addition, Wegmans provides daily donations to local food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens across all its market areas each year. In 2025, the company donated more than 36.8 million pounds of food, and its customers raised more than $4.7 million through annual scan campaigns to help reduce hunger.