Food Lion Feeds partners with local colleges

Sack to Give Back program kicks off Hunger Action Month efforts; provides meals to those in need for every quarterback sack

Teaming up to fight hunger: Food Lion Feeds partners with local colleges

SALISBURY, N.C., Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The fifth season of Food Lion Feeds’ Sack to Give Back program will bring together a record 36 colleges and universities to help feed hungry neighbors. Through this collaborative and proactive approach to combating food insecurity, Food Lion Feeds will provide 1,000 meals (up to 30,000 meals per school) for every quarterback bag made by the participating institution. This effort benefits Feeding America^®, the nation’s largest national hunger-relief organization, and local partner food banks in Food Lion’s 10-state area of ​​operation. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to combat food insecurity in the cities it serves.

The Sack to Give Back program also kicks off in September to align with Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its existing extensive relationship with Feeding America.^®. The partnership highlights the impact food can have on a person’s life and inspires action to end hunger within their communities. Since 2019, the Sack to Give Back campaign has provided more than 2.1 million meals* to local food bank partners across Food Lion’s 10 states.

In 2023, Food Lion Feeds’ Sack to Give Back program grew from 33 to 36 teams in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. This unique program will benefit 19 local Feeding America food bank partners serving the communities where each school is located. As the third week of the 2023 college football season is officially over, participating colleges have already recorded 206 quarterback sacks, the equivalent of 206,000 meals.

“At Food Lion, we are committed to creating a winning game plan for feeding our neighbors,” said Kevin Durkee, Food Lion Food Manager at Food Lion. “By partnering with student-athletes and their communities, we increase awareness and support for combatting food insecurity in the cities we serve.” Together we can fight hunger.

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The Sack to Give Back campaign is one of many initiatives Food Lion Feeds is running during Hunger Action Month. In addition to this campaign, Food Lion Feeds will renovate and stock the shelves of nearly 30 pantries across its 10-state operating area as part of its annual event, The Great Pantry Makeover. During this 30-day effort, Food Lion associates volunteer for activities such as painting and cleaning pantries, installing shelves, freezers, coolers and other equipment for increase the storage capacity of fruits, vegetables and other fresh products. Additionally, in partnership with its customers, Food Lion will help provide meals to hungry neighbors through its annual Food Lion Feeds Apple Bag campaign from September 13 to October 3. The Apple Bag campaign benefits Feeding America and local partner member food banks.

Participating schools and corresponding food banks that will benefit from each school’s efforts are:

Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion has helped provide more than 1 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. For more For information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to ending hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.

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

About Food Lion
Food Lion is an omnichannel retailer committed to feeding our neighbors during the times that matter most. More than 82,000 associates in more than 1,100 stores deliver a simple, fresh and affordable shopping experience across 10 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Through its “Count Me In” 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 22 consecutive years. He also launched a food rescue program to help 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 donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, since 1957, Food Lion has been an Ahold Delhaize company. USA, the American division of Ahold Delhaize, based in Zaandam. For more information, visit foodlion.com.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one goes hungry. We help tens of millions of food insecure people get the food and resources they say they need to thrive through a national network of food banks, food bank associations across state food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security, and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment.

We partner with people facing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d45f753-c453-4bb3-98fc-bb49731a4e1f