Shop-Rite, Warner Elementary School, and Lieutenant Governor Announce Mentoring Partnership

Supermarket employees will work with at-risk children

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wilmington - Shop-Rite Supermarkets, Warner Elementary School, and Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn announced a new partnership today which will result in dozens of Shop-Rite employees serving as mentors at Warner Elementary School in Wilmington. The announcement was made during a training session for Shop-Rite employees at the company's new store at the Wilmington Riverfront.

Shop-Rite is the first of ten Delaware companies that Lieutenant Governor Denn is attempting to recruit this year to form mentoring partnerships with public schools that service large numbers of high-risk children. Warner Elementary School has one of the state's highest percentages of low-income students.

Principal of Warner Elementary school, Meg Hoefer, expressed her appreciation to the Shop-Rite employees in attendance at the training session. "I can't tell you how much this means to our school," she said. "Mentoring a child means so much to them, and they long for the one-on-one time with their mentor."

"We know this is above and beyond what we ask of you as associates, and we ask a lot of you, but we feel this is critically important for all of us," explained Chris Kenny, CFO of ShopRite. "I know this is a large task at hand, and a time commitment for all of us, but only one hour a week could change a child's future."

Lieutenant Governor Denn complimented Shop-Rite for its commitment to the Wilmington community that its new store services, and for serving as an example to other Delaware businesses. "Someone needs to be first, and ShopRite was the one," said Lieutenant Governor Denn.