Sheehan Brothers Vending turns unsold fresh food into community support

The fresh food items that Sheehan Brothers Vending prepares and places in its micro markets and vending machines do more than provide hungry workers with a quick lunch or snack. Items not purchased at customer locations before their “sell by” date are collected and transported under temperature-controlled conditions, and the convenience services operator donates them to a local food bank.

To date this year, Sheehan Brothers has donated 301,755 pounds of fresh food to Second Harvest Food Bank in Springfield, Ohio, providing the equivalent of 251,463 meals for families in need. The donations reflect the company’s long-standing commitment to supporting families across the region and are just one example of the company’s efforts to give back to the community.

According to Second Harvest, the steady flow of product from Sheehan Brothers helps the food bank maintain a supply of fresh, healthy options as demand for assistance continues to rise. “Sheehan has been an outstanding donor,” said Toni Tayloe, director of food access at Second Harvest. “Their ongoing support helps ensure families across our region have access to fresh, healthy food. We are grateful for their partnership and their dedication to helping us meet the growing need.”

Patrick Sheehan, president of Sheehan Brothers Vending, also supports the food bank by serving on its board. “I sit on the board of that organization, and I can tell you: Ever since COVID, our numbers aren’t even meeting anywhere near their needs. So, it's really cool to see firsthand how just our spoiled stuff — that could just be thrown in the trash, or that a lot of operators might throw in the trash — we can give it away, and it goes to a good cause right in our local community,” he told VendingMarketWatch.com.