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https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2021/11/16/trader-joes-puts-a-stop-to-the-m-a-thanksgiving-food-drive

Town Square

Trader Joe's puts a stop to the M-A Thanksgiving food drive

Original post made by Kim Morris, Menlo Park: Downtown, on Nov 16, 2021

For many years Trader Joe's has supported our community and, in turn, our community has supported Trader Joe's. Well, it looks like the Grinch has come early this year. After years of supporting the students of Menlo-Atherton High School in their annual Thanksgiving food drive, the students have been told that they are no longer welcome at the Trader Joe's location in Menlo Park.

I asked the manager why and he said he was just following policy and that TJ's would make a donation. A donation is fine and they should make one, but it is not the same thing as fostering the sense of sharing and community that the drive has inspired for years.

What kind of community business does this? The kids do a wonderful job, are considerate when asking and have made a difference in the lives of many. Their drive has also made it easy for us who have the means to help those in need.

Trader Joe's reverse your new "policy". Or should we refer to you as Traitor Joe's and do our business elsewhere?

Comments

Posted by Frozen
a resident of Menlo Park: Linfield Oaks
on Nov 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm
Frozen is a registered user.

As an M-A parent, I am grateful to Trader Joe's for this decision.

"...fostering the sense of sharing and community that the drive has inspired for years."

Translation: guilt-tripping Trader Joe's customers by making shivering teens stand out in the cold for hours begging for cans of food

"What kind of community business does this?"

A business that cares about its customers, and got plenty of feedback that shoppers would rather write checks than go through the exercise of buying extra items solely for the purpose of handing them back to students as soon as they left the store.

I fully support the kids and their efforts to help those in need. But there's a more practical, more efficient way to achieve the same goals. It makes no sense to stick to the old model when there are so many problems with it.

As for the threat to stop shopping at Trader Joe's, I doubt anyone in the crowd will notice. There's a reason TJs has so many loyal customers, and they made the correct decision here. How about thanking them for their generosity?

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