Food Lion Feeds Donates 5 Million More Meals to Neighbors in Need

SALISBURY, N.C., Sept. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion Feeds is donating 5 million meals* equaling $500,000 to 11 Feeding America® partner food banks throughout its 10-state footprint. The significant donations of gift cards, announced during Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month, will assist these food banks in meeting unprecedented demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America estimates that due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, more than 42 million people may experience food insecurity, including a potential 13 million children (up from 10 million children prior to the pandemic).

Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Food Lion Feeds has donated the equivalent of 220 million meals to hunger relief efforts.

“No one should have to choose between paying for dinner or rent, or gas or groceries, but far too many of our neighbors are faced with those impossible decisions every day,” said Meg Ham, President, Food Lion. “Our neighbors are counting on us. That’s why we continue to stand with our longstanding community partners to fight hunger and nourish neighbors in the towns and cities we serve.”

The gift cards will allow families to purchase grocery items of their choice and will be distributed at the discretion of the food banks during their upcoming, existing food distributions.

Food banks receiving gift cards through the most recent $500,000 donation include:

• Food Bank of Delaware (Newark, DE)
• Feeding the Valley Food Bank (Midland, GA)
• Feeding America, Kentucky's Heartland (Elizabethtown, KY)
• Maryland Food Bank (Baltimore, MD)
• MANNA Food Bank (Asheville, NC)
• Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC (Raleigh, NC)
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (Raleigh, NC)
• Harvest Hope Food Bank (Greenville, SC)
• Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Chattanooga, TN)
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
• Food Bank of Southeastern VA and the Eastern Shore (Norfolk, VA)
  

Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer’s hunger-relief platform, Food Lion has donated more than 750 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 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.

For more information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to fight hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks.

About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 82,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 750 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Food Lion 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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/04129b0d-2581-4c50-b63c-be27f5830696