HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – One less child will face hunger in Holyoke, thanks to an initiative combatting food insecurity.

Stop & Shop and Holyoke Community Charter School teamed up to distribute 100 grocery bags to struggling families. The store chain gave gift cards to the school to purchase food and goods. According to Feeding America, 1 in 11 children faces hunger in Massachusetts.

Stop and Shop also donated an additional $15,000 so the school can continue distributing food this year to more than 700 kids.”We want to be able to sort of bridge the gap for families who struggle to put dinner on the table,” said Maura O’Brien, Manager of Communication Relations at Stop & Shop.

“This helps bring the kids back to school ready to learn and be more productive,” adds Dr. Sonia Correa Pope, Holyoke Community Charter School Principal.

The school is among 170 school pantries benefiting from this Stop & Shop initiative.