SALISBURY, N.C., June 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly 22 million children count on school-provided meals but less than 17% have access to summer meal programs. Food Lion Feeds’ third annual ‘Summers Without Hunger’ campaign aims to address the need by helping to provide 20 million meals* to fight child hunger this summer. Through the campaign, which runs June 1–28, neighbors have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and their families in their local community by donating $5 at checkout or online through Food Lion To Go. All donations benefit Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and 33 local Feeding America member food banks across Food Lion’s 10-state operating area. All customer donations will be generously matched by 10 Food Lion suppliers: Campbell's, Coca Cola, Frito Lay, Gatorade, General Mills, Kellogg's, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Pepsi Beverages and Unilever.
“No child should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from, and yet one in six children face hunger,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds. “In partnership with our customers and suppliers, we’re hoping this is our most impactful ‘Summers Without Hunger’ campaign yet. We’re grateful for this year’s participating supplier partners and our customers for coming together to support this important cause. Our goal with this campaign is to help eliminate some of the difficult choices our neighbors are forced to make while school is out for the summer.”
In addition to customers, suppliers and Food Lion donations, Food Lion associates will also volunteer throughout the month at many of the participating local Feeding America member food banks to help distribute food to neighbors in need.
“For kids who count on school meal programs during the school year, summer break could mean three months of worry and hunger,” said Lauren Biedron, vice president of corporate partnerships at Feeding America. “Feeding America is grateful to Food Lion, suppliers, associates and customers for their continued commitment to provide meals to children and their families through ‘Summers Without Hunger’.” This campaign is part of Food Lion Feeds’ overall commitment to help provide 1.5 billion meals to individuals and families in need by 2025. Since 2014, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion’s hunger relief platform, has provided more than 900 million meals** to neighbors in need. For more information on how Food Lion is fighting to end hunger in the towns and cities it serves through Food Lion Feeds, visit here.
*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks. Through the Summers Without Hunger campaign, Food Lion guarantees a minimum donation of $100,000 (monetary equivalent of 1 million meals.) from June 1 - 28, 2022.
**These meals were provided 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, 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 900 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.
Contact: foodlion@matternow.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6eaffc18-9726-4e31-a729-49c4d2d99dc8
