Food Lion to Help Feed Asheville-Area Neighbors During Pandemic

Local donations are part of retailer’s commitment to donate 9.5 million meals by end of this year through new campaign.

Food Lion has announced local efforts to nourish neighbors in the greater Asheville area through a new campaign aimed to help support kids and families impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The company, based in Salisbury, NC, since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and is a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize USA.

Through its Faces of Hope campaign, Food Lion Feeds, the retailer’s hunger relief initiative is donating 9.5 million meals to Feeding America partner food banks throughout its 10-state footprint. The effort is designed to help 30 Feeding America partner food banks in meeting unprecedented demand due to the pandemic.

“Already on the frontlines of ensuring all of our neighbors receive the nourishment they need, our food bank partners are now faced with new challenges from COVID-19 such as increased demand for food, transportation, and volunteer shortages,” said Meg Ham, Food Lion President. “At Food Lion, we’re proud to work with these incredible organizations every day, and we’re committed to continuing to help ease the additional burden felt by our food bank partners and ensure they can feed families counting on them for their next meal.”

Food Lion Feeds will donate $20,000 in gift cards to support MANNA Food Bank’s child feeding programs, donate shelving to the food bank, and restock several food pantries across the WNC region. The WNC organizations being supported includes the Cullowhee Valley Baptist Church Food Pantry in Cullowhee; the Living Waters Food Pantry in Cherokee; the Dysartsville Christian Ministries Food Pantry in Nebo; the Emmanuel Lutheran Shelter Program in Asheville; and MANNA Food Bank, also in Asheville.

The Faces of Hope campaign is part of the grocery chain’s efforts to care for the towns and cities it serves. Earlier this year, Food Lion donated more than $3.6 million to community partners to provide COVID-19 relief, including $3.1 million to food bank and medical research partners, and $500,000 in a partnership to support schools feeding children in need during the summer.

“Nourishing our neighbors is core to everything we do at Food Lion, and we recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time for many,” said Ham. “Our neighbors are counting on us more than ever and we will do our part to bring meals and hope to families in need.”

Overall, Food Lion Feeds has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 through a combination of product, financial and equipment donations; disaster relief and recovery efforts; volunteer hours by associates; in-store retail campaigns; the company’s food rescue program. Food Lion has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025.

For more information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to fight hunger, please visit www.foodlion.com/feeds.