Last updated on November 21st, 2019 at 07:54 am
Salisbury, North Carolina-based Food Lion is partnering with customers and community partners to donate more than 1 million meals to help nourish neighbors in need through Food Lion Feeds’ annual “Season of Caring” initiative. Food Lion Feeds will help provide food, volunteers and financial contributions through Dec. 24 to support those in need across its 10-state footprint.
“At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries. These difficult choices become even more challenging during the holidays. Like all of us, struggling families also want to ensure that they’re able to share special meals together to celebrate the holiday season,” said Emma A. Inman, Food Lion’s director of community relations and external communications. “We want to ensure that our neighbors in need can nourish their families and our gift of more than 1 million meals across our service area will make the season a little easier for children, seniors, families and servicemen and women in the towns and cities we serve,” Inman said.
The “Holidays Without Hunger” campaign offers customers a way to help through the purchase of specially marked food boxes at each of Food Lion’s more than 1,000 stores. Through Dec. 17, boxes can be purchased for $5, while supplies last, and the Food Lion store will donate the box directly to a local food pantry or food bank. Customers also can make cash donations at checkout to support their local Feeding America member food banks.
One hundred percent of cash donations and all food boxes benefit the Feeding America food banks or partner feeding agencies in the store’s local community.
The Season of Caring campaign also will support more than 30 feeding-related community events across its service area.
Caring for the military community
Food Lion Feeds, in partnership with its military hunger relief partner, Operation Homefront, will support four Holiday Meals for Military Families events. On Nov. 21, volunteers will distribute fresh and non-perishable holiday meal items and Food Lion gift cards to more than 500 military families at events in Augusta, Georgia; Newport News, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Jacksonville, North Carolina. Additionally, on Dec. 11, Food Lion Feeds will partner with the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank for a holiday meal distribution for 200 families at Ft. Eustis in Newport News, Virginia.
Caring for children
As part of Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to end childhood hunger, several events during the Season of Caring will be focused on children.
- Orangeburg, South Carolina – On Nov. 19, in partnership with Miss CIAA 2019, 120 backpacks will be packed and distributed to students at Sheridan Elementary School.
- Salisbury and Charlotte, North Carolina – In December, local store associates will pack backpacks full of food and snacks and distribute them to five local elementary schools including BerryHill, West Rowan, Shive, Overton and Koontz elementary schools.
- Richmond, Virginia – Food Lion Feeds will support a holiday meal distribution for 200 children and their families in partnership with the Salvation Army at the Boys and Girls Club with both fresh and non-perishable items.
Caring for seniors
In December, Food Lion Feeds will support a Meals on Wheels emergency box distribution to local seniors in Rowan County, North Carolina. Each senior will receive an emergency box of food, fruit bags and poinsettias, as well as a visit from local Food Lion associates.
Caring for neighbors
- Local Food Lion associates will volunteer and donate meals at several other events throughout the Season of Caring.
- Rocky Mount, North Carolina – Food Lion Feeds will partner with professional basketball player Montrezl Harrel to donate 125 sides.
- Delaware – Food Lion associates will donate 4,200 turkeys across the state through its support of the Nor Enterprises Annual Turkey Give Away.
- Charlotte, North Carolina – As the official hunger-relief partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Food Lion Feeds will partner with the team and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina on the annual Cornucopia event to donate a holiday meal for 1,000 families. Also, in partnership with the Hornets, Food Lion Feeds will donate 500 turkeys to feed local Charlotte families at the annual Street Turkey event benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Loaves and Fishes.
- Raleigh, Durham and Fayetteville, North Carolina – Food Lion Feeds will partner with ABC11 for its annual ABC11 Together Food Drive.
- Roanoke Rapids, Virginia – Store associates will prepare and serve a meal for 100 neighbors in need in partnership with a local Roanoke Rapids shelter.
Through Food Lion Feeds, the company’s hunger-relief platform launched in 2014, the retailer has donated more than 560 million meals through in-store campaigns, its food rescue program, associate volunteerism and contributions to Feeding America, its member food banks and community partners. Food Lion Feeds has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by the end of 2025.
Total meal counts are based on in-store campaigns, equipment donations, in-store food rescue programs and associate volunteerism.
