Food Lion Feeds is donating 5 million meals equaling $500,000 to 11 Feeding America partner food banks throughout its 10-state footprint. The donations of gift cards, announced during Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month, will assist these food banks in meeting unprecedented demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America estimates that due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, more than 42 million people may experience food insecurity, including a potential 13 million children (up from 10 million children prior to the pandemic).
Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Food Lion Feeds has donated the equivalent of 220 million meals to hunger relief efforts.
“No one should have to choose between paying for dinner or rent, or gas or groceries, but far too many of our neighbors are faced with those impossible decisions every day,” said Meg Ham, president, Food Lion. “Our neighbors are counting on us. That’s why we continue to stand with our longstanding community partners to fight hunger and nourish neighbors in the towns and cities we serve.”
The gift cards will allow families to purchase grocery items of their choice and will be distributed at the discretion of the food banks during their upcoming, existing food distributions.
Food banks receiving gift cards through the most recent $500,000 donation include:
• Food Bank of Delaware (Newark, De.)
• Feeding the Valley Food Bank (Midland, Ga.)
• Feeding America, Kentucky's Heartland (Elizabethtown, Ky.)
• Maryland Food Bank (Baltimore, Md.)
• MANNA Food Bank (Asheville, NC)
• Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC (Raleigh, NC)
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (Raleigh, NC)
• Harvest Hope Food Bank (Greenville, SC)
• Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Chattanooga)
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (Nashville)
• Food Bank of Southeastern VA and the Eastern Shore (Norfolk, Va.)