SALISBURY, N.C., Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion Feeds continues to fulfill its commitment to fight hunger in the towns and cities Food Lion serves by donating $1 million to grow existing partnerships with Feeding America® and No Kid Hungry. The funding will support both organizations in meeting the increased demand for food assistance by building capacity so more meals can be delivered to families throughout Food Lion’s 10-state footprint. According to a report published in September 2022 by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States reported household food insecurity in the summer of 2022, an increase of more than 6% from April 2021. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.
“Our partnerships with Feeding America and No Kid Hungry are incredibly meaningful, and we are grateful for the opportunity to deepen our shared mission of helping to provide meals for our neighbors and school children who are facing hunger,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion. “Together, we continue to address food insecurity in the towns and cities we serve by funding programs that provide access to fresh and nutritious food, which is critical with the heightened need.”
In 2022, both organizations worked to address greater need for food assistance due to increased food prices, supply chain disruptions and diminished food donations, among other factors impacting individuals and families. The latest Feeding America food bank pulse survey finds that the majority of member food banks, 60% in all, reported an increase in demand for emergency food assistance in August compared to the previous month. During the COVID-19 pandemic, states across the country boosted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by paying extra emergency allotments.
“We know our partners like Feeding America and No Kid Hungry are working to ensure individuals, families and children have access to meals, even with challenges like increased demand, reductions in support, supply chain issues and much more,” continued Durkee. “At Food Lion, we are committed to providing continued support to our hunger-relief partners as they work to help our neighbors receive the nourishment they need.”
Food Lion Feeds supports Feeding America to create sustainable hunger relief resources
As part of this donation, Food Lion Feeds is providing $750,000 to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to help nourish neighbors facing hunger in the new year. The contribution will provide grants to Feeding America member food banks throughout Food Lion’s 10-state operating area. These member food banks partner with agencies that play a significant role in the distribution and access to food for children and families disproportionally impacted by food insecurity. It is vital for agency partners to be well equipped with secure investments in hard assets, infrastructure and agency related capacity building areas that address critical needs in providing food to neighbors facing hunger.
“Hunger touches every community in the United States. Feeding America estimates that at least 53 million people turned to food banks, food pantries and other private food assistance programs in 2021,” said Casey Marsh, Chief Development Officer, Feeding America. “We are grateful for Food Lion’s partnership and commitment to member food banks and agency partners by helping to provide additional food and resources that communities need to thrive.”
Over the course of several decades, Food Lion and Feeding America have worked together to address hunger. Since 2014, when Food Lion Feeds was established, the relationship has deepened by both teaming up to give back to the communities they serve through various initiatives, where customers can make a donation or purchase specially marked products that provide meals to those in need. In addition, Food Lion Feeds has contributed additional funding to support the increased need for food assistance during COVID-19 and in honor of the annual global Giving Tuesday movement. With this support and more, the Feeding America network helped provide 5.2 billion meals* in fiscal 2022.
For more information about Feeding America, visit feedingamerica.org.
Omnichannel retailer and No Kid Hungry meeting increased demand to fight child hunger
Food Lion Feeds also donated $250,000 to support No Kid Hungry, a national campaign committed to ending childhood hunger. Food Lion Feeds has partnered with No Kid Hungry since 2019. Since 1 in 8 children, or 9 million children, in the United States lives with hunger, the funds will help support school and community meal programs aimed to help ensure that all children have access to three nourishing meals a day.
“Food Lion Feeds has been a valued partner to No Kid Hungry during some of the most critical years of our work to date,” said Diana Hovey, Senior Vice President, Corporate Partnerships at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. “As families’ basic costs rise and schools—which are so instrumental to feeding kids—contend with supply chain and labor challenges, Food Lion Feeds’ support is helping us ensure crucial meal programs are equipped with the needed resources.”
The $250,000 in funding is in addition to the $1 million Food Lion Feeds donated to No Kid Hungry since 2019. Since collaborating with No Kid Hungry, Food Lion Feeds has contributed funding that can help provide children with more than 12 million** meals. In addition, this partnership has supported grants to 55 school districts and community organizations that are working to feed children through school meals, summer meal sites and additional food distribution programs.
Research shows that when students start their day with a healthy breakfast, they do better on tests, have fewer discipline problems, have fewer health problems and are more likely to graduate from high school. Food Lion Feeds and No Kid Hungry are committed to ensuring that kids have access to nutritious food so they can focus on learning, setting them up for success in life.
For more information about No Kid Hungry, visit nokidhungry.org.
Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion has helped to provide more than 1 billion meals*** to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals*** by 2025. For more information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to fight hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.
*Meals provided by Feeding America outreach, estimated for fiscal year 2022. Based on USDA guidelines, a meal is equal to 1.2 pounds of food and grocery product.
**No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals; donations help support programs that feed kids. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.
***Food Lion Feeds helps provide meals through a combination of product, financial and equipment donations; disaster relief and recovery efforts; capital campaign support for feeding agencies; and volunteer hours by associates, based on various meal equivalent formulas.
About Food Lion
Food Lion is an omnichannel retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors during the moments that matter most. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Through its ‘Count on me’ culture, Food Lion fosters a sense of belonging for all associates, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment that has supported LGBTQ+ equality for nearly two decades. Food Lion is the only company in the country to be named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for 21 consecutive years. It also pioneered a food rescue program to support food-insecure neighbors. Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer has donated more than 1 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
| CONTACT: | Food Lion Media Relations | |
| 704-245-3317 | ||
| publicrelationsteam@foodlion.com |
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