Local Food Lion Associates Volunteer to Give 400,000 Meals to Feed the Hungry

SALISBURY, N.C., Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Lion Feeds today launched its first annual Week of Service. Hundreds of local associates from across the grocer's 10-state operating footprint will volunteer to give 400,000 meals to individuals and families struggling with hunger in their local communities, helping the grocer take another step toward its commitment to provide 500 million meals by the end of 2020.

"I'm proud that our associates give back to their local communities every day by volunteering at their local food pantry, coaching local sports teams or volunteering in the classroom," said Food Lion President Beth Newlands Campbell. "Hunger Action Month provides a great opportunity for us as a company to celebrate a Week of Service, so that our associates can spend extra time caring for those in their communities who are making tough choices because they're struggling with hunger."

Food Lion Feeds Week of Service, Sept. 15-19, kicks off today, with Food Lion associates participating in more than 20 organized volunteer events throughout the week. Service projects include a wide range of volunteer efforts from painting, weeding and other maintenance activities at local food banks to serving lunch at soup kitchens to distributing food through mobile pantries. In addition, Food Lion had nearly 300 associates join employees from other local companies and volunteers from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at an annual Sort-a-Rama event to pack thousands of meals to help feed local families on Sept. 11 in Raleigh, N.C.

Hunger Action Month (September) is a nationwide campaign to mobilize action on the issue of hunger.  Organized by Feeding America®, the campaign brings greater attention to the issue of hunger in America and promotes ways for individuals everywhere to get involved with the movement to solve it.

"By donating 500 million meals by the end of 2020, Food Lion is proud to be a part of solving hunger in our local communities. We look forward to launching Week of Service this year, and building upon it for years to come, so that no one has to choose between dinner and rent or medicine and buying groceries," added Newlands Campbell.

Follow the week's activities on Twitter @FoodLionNews #FoodLionFeeds or on Food Lion's Lion's Tale blog. More information about Food Lion Feeds is available at www.foodlion.com/feeds.

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 63,000 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 committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG).  For more information, visit www.foodlion.com. 

About Food Lion Feeds
For more than 50 years, Food Lion has been a strong philanthropic partner in the communities it serves. As a grocer, Food Lion's business is food. The company believes that no one should have to choose between dinner and paying rent or gasoline and buying groceries. Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion is working to create a better tomorrow by uniting with customers and partners to eliminate the choices families are forced to make when they are hungry. By the end of 2020, the company has pledged to provide 500 million meals to families in need in its local communities. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com/feeds. 

SOURCE Food Lion