SALISBURY ó Now through Dec. 30, all Food Lion stores are participating in the “Shopping for Second Harvest” campaign to support local food banks affiliated with the America’s Second Harvest Network. All donations will stay in the communities where given to feed the hungry.
Food Lion customers can support their local food banks during the six-week campaign by purchasing ready-made boxes of food for $4.99. These contain high-protein items, meal stretchers, and holiday items, such as gravy mix. The boxes of food will go directly to a local food bank affiliated with America’s Second Harvest.
All donations will be added to the customer’s total bill and shown on the receipt for easy record keeping.
This is Food Lion’s fourth-annual Shopping for Second Harvest campaign. During the 2005 campaign, Food Lion customers and employees donated more than more than 147,300 boxes of food, worth approximately $735,080.
Overall in 2005, Food Lion was the second-largest retail food donor nationwide to America’s Second Harvest. Food Lion raised and donated approximately 29 million pounds (14,500 tons) of food to America’s Second Harvest food banks. All Food Lion stores are encouraged to partner with local food banks and make year-round food donations.
“Each year Food Lion continues to look for new ways to support hunger relief efforts,” said Eric Davis, America’s Second Harvest manager of retail programs. “They have raised a combined total of $1.2 million in monetary and product donations in just the past two years. Food Lion is a great example of a company giving back to its community.”
“As a grocer, Food Lion is well positioned to help feed the hungry,” said Mark Messier, Food Lion vice president of retail services. “Food Lion acts on the belief that assisting the hungry should be a priority for food retailers. In supporting America’s Second Harvest food banks, we help build a spirit of partnership and strengthen our communities. It’s also a good way to remember our neighbors in need during the holidays.”
America’s Second HarvestńThe Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. America’s Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America’s Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including nearly 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.