As part of its annual Great Pantry Makeover initiative, Food Lion Feeds – Food Lion’s hunger-relief platform – is remodeling and restocking 33 food pantries to better serve their communities.
The effort is held every September in recognition of Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds strengthens its partnership with Feeding America to highlight hunger’s impact and encourage action to help end it.
Throughout the 30-day initiative, Food Lion employees will volunteer more than 1,500 hours to paint, clean and help renovate pantries, as well as install shelving, freezers, coolers and other equipment to increase storage and expand access to fresh produce and other essentials.
In addition, they will help supply the pantries with a combined total of more than 92,000 pounds of shelf-stable items donated by Food Lion Feeds.
Food Lion Feeds is providing makeovers to the following pantries:
- Delaware: New Life Christian Center and Christian Storehouse;
- Virginia: St. Luke Church of God in Christ, Engage Food Pantry, The Rescue Mission of Roanoke, Botetourt Food Pantry, Mercy Drops Dream Center and Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank Market Fresh;
- North Carolina: Cornerstone Christian Center Food Pantry, Helping Hands Foundation of Surry, Community Helpers Service, Chatham Outreach Alliance – West Chatham Food Pantry location, Big Elm Ministries, Anderson Creek Community Church Food Pantry, The Original Tabernacle of Prayer, Martha’s Project, Plymouth Food Pantry and Living Word Church;
- Tennessee: La Paz Chattanooga, Harbours Gate, Open Arms Ministry and Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church;
- Kentucky: Aaron McNeil House Inc.;
- Georgia: Project Life, Albany Rescue Mission and GLOW Ministries;
- South Carolina: Christian Love Tabernacle, Greer Relief & Resources Agency Inc., The Salvation Army of Greenwood, Cornerstone Family Worship Center, Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach, Bethel AME Church and Shady Grove United Methodist Church.
“At Food Lion Feeds, we’re committed to nourishing our neighbors and setting them up for success in life,” said Kevin Durkee, manager of the platform.
“Through The Great Pantry Makeover, we’re not only providing resources to expand access to nutritious food but also creating meaningful opportunities for our associates to connect with their neighbors and make a lasting impact.”
Since the program began in 2015, Food Lion Feeds has supported or renovated more than 350 food pantries.
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