Food Lion Feeds partners with local colleges to tackle hunger during football season

Food Lion Feeds’ Sack to Give Back program returns this fall with a record number of 33 colleges and universities coming together to nourish neighbors in need including James Madison University and the University of Virginia. Both schools have selected the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank for donations.

Other Virginia schools participating include:

• Liberty University: Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
• Old Dominion University: Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
• University of Richmond: Feed More
• Virginia State University: Feed More
• Virginia Tech University: Feeding Southwest Virginia
• Virginia Union University: Feed More
• William and Mary College: Virginia Peninsula Food Bank

Through the innovative effort to tackle hunger, the omnichannel retailer will donate 1,000 meals (up to 30,000 meals per school) for every quarterback sack made by the participating institution to each school’s local Feeding America member food bank.

Since 2019, Food Lion Feeds has donated more than 1.3 million meals through the campaign.

The Sack to Give Back program also kicks off in September to align with Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its extensive existing partnership with Feeding America to raise awareness and inspire action to help people facing impossible choices resulting from food insecurity.

“Food Lion is committed to fighting hunger in the towns and cities we serve, and what better way to rally support from our neighbors than in a football stadium during a quarterback sack,” said Kevin Durkee, manager of Food Lion Feeds, in a news release. “Hunger knows no boundaries, and this program enables us to educate our neighbors about food insecurity while engaging them in the fight against hunger. We wish all the participating schools a successful season both on the field and on the Sack to Give Back scoreboard.”

In 2022, Food Lion Feeds’ Sack to Give Back program has expanded from 27 to 33 teams across Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. The unique program will benefit 16 Feeding America member food banks serving communities where each school is located.