Ocean State Job Lot, a 116-store discount retail chain with a location in Sanford and headquartered in North Kingstown, R.I., announces its 2015 “Three Square Meals” hunger relief program to alleviate the problem of food insecurity throughout the Northeast.

The program will distribute 109 tractor trailer loads of food throughout the year to 15 food banks, which in turn distribute to thousands of pantries, kitchens, and meal insecurity sites across six New England states, New York, and New Jersey, including Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine. This marks the single largest food assistance program of its kind in the Northeast.

On Thursday, April 9 at 9:15 a.m., the first delivery of food will be kicked off with a convoy of 18 tractor trailer trucks loaded with approximately 630,000 lbs of nutritious, shelf-stable food, the first installment of nearly 3.2 million pounds delivered throughout the year.

Funds for Three Square Meals are raised annually between November and December through a combination of in-store customer donations at the register, contributions from the business community, and matching funds from the Job Lot Charitable Foundation. Job Lot purchases food at significant value. It also donates the operational support, delivery and other expenses to ensure that 100 percent of every dollar raised goes to the plate to help families and individuals in need. Items to be distributed include shelf-stable food such as pasta, cereal, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, canned tuna, dried beans, rice, and more.