Food Lion to Renovate and Restock 27 Partner Food Pantries

September is Hunger Action Month, and to mark it Food Lion will remodel and restock 27 partner food pantries across its operating area via its Food Lion Feeds program. As part of the annual Great Pantry Makeover event, Food Lion Feeds will provide more than 850 volunteer hours in its largest associate volunteer initiative and donate $310,000, equivalent to 3.1 million meals. (Each $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local partner food banks.)

Now in its ninth year, this makeover program sees the retailer’s associates paint and clean pantries or install shelving, freezers, coolers and other equipment to expand the pantries’ capacity to offer fresh fruits, vegetables and other products. In addition to addressing critical needs for the partner feeding agencies, Food Lion associates also will stock the pantries with nutritious food.

“Through Food Lion Feeds, we nourish our communities by identifying and developing relationships with our partner food banks,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager of Food Lion Feeds in a statement. “Our associates believe in the value of volunteer work. By being partners in action, our volunteer Food Lion associates offer immediate and long-term solutions to address food insecurity in the towns and cities we serve.”

Other Food Lion Feeds programs during Hunger Action Month include:

• The fifth season of Sack to Give Back, teaming up with 30+ colleges and universities to provide 1,000 meals (up to 30,000 per school) for every quarterback sack made by the participating institution to each school’s local Feeding America partner food bank; and
• Providing meals to neighbors experiencing hunger through its annual Apple Bag campaign from Sept. 13 to Oct. 3, 2023.

Through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer has helped provide more than 1 billion meals since 2014 and has committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. During its 2022 Holidays Without Hunger campaign, Food Lion helped its customers provide 5.4 million meals to those in need.