Winn-Dixie – in partnership with its charitable arm, the Winn-Dixie Gives Foundation – is taking action to fight food insecurity and lift up local youth with a $100,000 donation to five Boys & Girls Clubs chapters across the Southeast.
The contribution is part of the grocer’s annual company-wide initiative to help bridge the meal gap many children face when school cafeterias close for summer break.
Through this effort, each Boys & Girls Clubs chapter will receive $20,000 in support – $10,000 in food donations, including lunches, snack packs and take-home meals for families; and $10,000 in direct funding to help cover children’s memberships, meals and enrichment activities throughout the summer.
“Summer should be a season of joy, discovery and possibility – not a time when children worry about where their next meal will come from. At Winn-Dixie, we believe every child deserves consistent access to nourishing food and enriching experiences,” said Anthony Hucker, chairman, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie.
“Through our partnership with local Boys & Girls Clubs, we’re not only helping fill lunch boxes, we’re helping create safe, supportive spaces where kids can thrive, build confidence and make lasting summer memories. This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to being a community champion and a positive force in the local communities we serve.”
Each of the following Boys & Girls Clubs chapters hosts hundreds of children during the summer months and will receive resources to help ensure no child goes without a meal or a moment of joy:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida;
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay;
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana;
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida; and
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.
As part of the initiative, Winn-Dixie employees will help unload food donations, pack lunch boxes and snack packs and spend time with the children at each club.
According to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 56 percent of club members live in households that qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches, highlighting the vital role community programs play in ensuring children have reliable access to nutritious food.
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