How one New Jersey Wegmans store is getting involved with this "Season of Giving"

People who work at a grocery store or any people-oriented business have their constants. There may be customers they have seen for multiple decades or certain families they have seen progress through multiple generations.For people who have worked at Wegmans, the store's "Check Out Hunger" initiative has been part of the fabric of their employment, whether they started working there yesterday or 30 years ago."At 15 years old, I was asking customers in Buffalo, New York if they would like to donate to Check Out Hunger," said Chris Ruper, the service area manager at the Cherry Hill Wegmans location off of Route 70.There has not been a time when the campaign was not part of his work at the company, Ruper said. He's been working at Wegmans in Cherry Hill for about 18 years.Check Out Hunger is ramping up again in 2026, running from Oct. 21 through Nov. 28."We make it easy by being able to do it at the register," Ruper said.Wegmans customers can donate $2, $3, $5 or any amount at the c