In support of the global #GivingTuesday movement, Salisbury, North Carolina-based Food Lion is donating one million meals to its longstanding hunger-relief partner Feeding America and the 33 local Feeding America member food banks across its service area. ($1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.)
The donation through Food Lion Feeds, the omnichannel retailer’s hunger relief initiative, will support efforts to combat child hunger in the towns and cities Food Lion serves. Created in 2012, #GivingTuesday is observed the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to encourage generosity, giving and good deeds.
“On behalf of our 82,000 associates, we’re proud to add our name and resources to the #GivingTuesday movement and help nourish more of our neighbors and set them up for success,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “Supporting the towns and cities we serve is what we do, and we know more of our neighbors have become food insecure due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We want our community partners and neighbors to know they can always count on Food Lion when they need us.”
Hunger as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has risen dramatically. In parts of Food Lion’s 10-state footprint, the number of food-insecure neighbors has risen by as much as 30 percent.
To help meet this continuing need, in the last two years alone Food Lion has donated more than 260 million meals across the towns and cities it serves through a combination of product, financial and equipment donations; disaster relief and recovery efforts; volunteer hours by associates; in-store retail campaigns; and the company’s food rescue program, in which every Food Lion store donates food safe for human consumption to a local feeding agency before the food spoils.
For more information on Food Lion Feeds, visit foodlion.com/feeds.
Food Lion has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. It is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com or job applicants may visit www.foodlion.com/careers.
