SALISBURY, NC, Aug. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Food Lion Feeds is partnering with 35 colleges and universities to fight hunger on campus. The goal is to feed college students and combat food insecurity through its annual Sack to Give Back program. As part of its ongoing efforts to alleviate hunger, Food Lion Feeds will donate 1,000 meals (up to 30,000 meals per school) for every quarterback sack made by the participating institution. The effort will benefit campus food banks or affiliated Feeding America programs.® Partner food banks that serve every school throughout Food Lion’s 10-state operation. Food Lion Feeds was founded by Food Lion in 2014 to combat food insecurity in the cities it serves.
The Sack to Give Back program also launches in September, coinciding with Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its long-standing relationship with Feeding America, the nation’s largest national hunger relief organization. The partnership highlights the impact food can have on a person’s life and inspires action to end hunger in their communities. Since 2019, the Sack to Give Back program has donated more than 3 million meals* to local campus food banks and food banks in the 10 states where Food Lion operates.
According to a report released in November 2023 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, college students are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. Estimates suggest that 33–51% of students are food insecure, compared to nearly 10% of U.S. adults.
“At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries,” said Kevin Durkee, Food Lion Feeds Manager at Food Lion. “That’s why we’re passionate about ending hunger in our communities. With this annual drive, we help feed hungry college students, increase access to nutritious food and prepare students for success.”
Participating schools include:
| School | Location |
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina (State) |
| Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia |
| Bowie State University | Bowie, MD |
| Catawba College | Salisbury, North Carolina |
| Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, SC |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, North Carolina (state) |
| Elizabeth City State University | Elizabeth City, North Carolina |
| Elon University | Elon, North Carolina (State) |
| Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia |
| Hampton University | Hampton, Virginia |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
| Johnson C. Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina (State) |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Lincoln University | Oxford, Pennsylvania |
| Livingstone College | Salisbury, North Carolina |
| North Carolina State University of Agriculture and Technology | Greensboro, North Carolina (state) |
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Shaw University | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg, SC |
| Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, Tennessee – Page 1 |
| Towson University | Towson, MD |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| University of Maryland | Adelphi, MD |
| University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, North Carolina (State) |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke, North Carolina (state) |
| University of Virginia | Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Virginia State University | Petersburg, VA |
| Virginia Tech University | Blacksburg, Virginia (State) |
| Virginia Union University | Richmond, Virginia |
| Wake Forest University | Winston Salem, North Carolina |
| William and Mary College | Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Winston-Salem State University | Winston Salem, North Carolina |
Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion has helped provide more than 1.2 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and is committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. For more information about Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to ending hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.
*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals through Feeding America® on behalf of the local partner food banks.
About Food Lion
Food Lion is an omnichannel grocer dedicated to feeding the people who live there. More than 82,000 associates in over 1,100 stores provide an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience in 10 states across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. With its focus on hunger relief, Food Lion is a pioneer in food rescue. In 2014, Food Lion Feeds was founded and has since donated more than 1.2 billion meals to people who are food insecure. The retailer has committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded in 1957, Food Lion is headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one goes hungry. We help tens of millions of food-insecure people get the food and resources they need to survive through a nationwide network of food banks, national food bank associations, food pantries, and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security, and work to address factors that affect food security, such as health, cost of living, and employment.
We partner with food-insecure people, policymakers, organizations, and advocates, uniting with them in a movement to end hunger. For more information, visit FeedingAmerica.org.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a288fae0-3ea2-43c9-adac-a695e3d11b62
