Food Lion Feeds has announced a new three-year partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, committing $250,000 to support 20 local club programs across its 10-state operating area. Food Lion Feeds is the hunger-relief platform for the grocery retailer Food Lion.
The partnership aims to address food insecurity and provide nutritional education for young people. According to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, more than 60% of their members qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch, and over one in six youth nationwide live in households facing poverty.
“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.”
The initiative will include not only support for meals and wellness education but also interactive experiences at five selected Boys & Girls Club sites. These activities will involve participation from Food Lion associates.
“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 at 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.”
Since 2014, through its hunger relief efforts including product donations and volunteer hours by associates—which are calculated into meal equivalents—Food Lion has helped provide more than 1.5 billion meals to individuals and families. The company has set a goal to donate three billion meals by 2032. More information can be found at https://www.foodlion.com/feeds/.
Food Lion operates over 1,100 stores across ten Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states with more than 82,000 employees. The company is part of Ahold Delhaize USA.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides youth development programs at over 5,500 locations nationwide serving more than four million young people each year through both club membership and outreach efforts.
A photo related to this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba408c47-1639-42be-9c6a-ffd039ad9e11
