SALISBURY, N.C., -- Food Lion Feeds is announcing a three-year partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to invest $250,000 in 20 local Boys & Girls Club programs across Food Lion’s 10-state footprint. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area is one of the 20 programs selected. Food Lion Feeds is the omnichannel retailer’s hunger-relief platform, committed to addressing food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.
At Boys & Girls Clubs, more than 60% of members qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch, and more than 1 in 6 youth nationwide live in households experiencing poverty. Through this partnership, Food Lion Feeds and Boys & Girls Clubs of America will help nourish the bodies and minds of young people by providing access to fresh, affordable meals and nutritional education opportunities that set them up for success in life.
“At Food Lion, we believe that nourishing our neighbors goes beyond providing meals, it’s about empowering them to make better, healthier choices,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion. “Through our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we’re investing in the health and future of our youth by equipping them with the knowledge and resources to understand what’s nutritious, eat well, and build lifelong habits that support their overall well-being.”
In addition to supporting nutritious meals and wellness education, Food Lion Feeds has selected five Boys & Girls Club sites* to host the following interactive experiences for Club members, with assistance from Food Lion associates:
- Healthy Habits Day: Food Lion associates will lead interactive activities, cooking demos and fitness challenges designed to reinforce healthy lifestyle choices.
- Backpack and Pantry Pack-Outs: Food Lion associates will volunteer to assemble wellness kits for youth and families facing food insecurity.
- Club Market Day: Boys & Girls Club staff and Food Lion associates will collaborate to run a mock grocery store, helping youth learn budgeting, nutrition and customer service skills.
- Behind the Aisles Field Trips: Boys & Girls Club members will get a behind-the-scenes look at local Food Lion stores, exploring healthy food choices and learning about in-store and corporate career opportunities.
“Together with Food Lion, we’re creating meaningful experiences that deepen the connection between associates and the communities they serve,” said Jennifer Bateman, Senior Vice President of Youth Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This partnership strengthens the support system young people rely on every day—helping them build healthy habits, feel seen and supported, and ultimately create the great futures they deserve.”
Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion has helped provide more than 1.5 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donating 3 billion meals** by 2032. For more information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to ending hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.
**Food Lion Feeds helps to address food insecurity by providing product, financial and equipment donations; disaster relief and recovery efforts; investing in capital campaign support for feeding agencies; and volunteer hours by associates. These investments are converted to a meal equivalent based on various meal equivalent formulas.
About Food Lion
Food Lion is an omnichannel grocery retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. With a focus on hunger relief, Food Lion is a pioneer in food rescue. Since 2014, the company’s hunger relief platform Food Lion Feeds has donated more than 1.5 billion meals to those who are food insecure. The retailer has committed to donate 3 billion meals by 2032. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.
