Food Lion Feeds helps nourish college students

Food Lion Feeds is partnering with 35 colleges and universities to help nourish college students and address food insecurity through its annual Sack to Give Back program.

As part of its ongoing efforts to provide hunger relief, 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 benefits campus food pantries or affiliated Feeding America partner food banks, where each school is located throughout Food Lion’s 10-state operating area. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.

The Sack to Give Back program also kicks off in September to align with Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds supports its relationship with Feeding America. Since 2019, the Sack to Give Back program has resulted in more than 3 million meals donated to local campus food pantries and food banks across Food Lion’s 10-state footprint.

According to a report published in November 2023 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, college students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population. Estimates put students between 33-51% food insecure compared to nearly 10% among U.S. adults.

[Read more: Food Lion highlights initiatives to promote healthier living]

“At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries,” said Kevin Durkee, manager, Food Lion Feeds at Food Lion. “That’s why we’re passionate about helping end hunger in our communities. Through this annual effort, we help nourish college students who experience hunger, increasing access to nutritious food and setting students up for success.”

The participating schools include:

• Appalachian State University
• Boone, N.C.
• Bluefield State University
• Bluefield, W.Va.
• Bowie State University
• Bowie, Md.
• Catawba College
• Salisbury, N.C.
• Clemson University
• Clemson, S.C.
• Coastal Carolina University
• Conway, S.C.
• East Carolina University
• Greenville, N.C.
• Elizabeth City State University
• Elizabeth City, N.C.
• Elon University
• Elon, N.C.
• Fayetteville State University
• Fayetteville, N.C.
• Georgia Southern University
• Statesboro, Ga.
• Hampton University
• Hampton, Va.
• James Madison University
• Harrisonburg, Va.
• Johnson C. Smith University
• Charlotte, N.C.
• Liberty University
• Lynchburg, Va.
• Lincoln University
• Oxford, Pa.
• Livingstone College
• Salisbury, N.C.
• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• Greensboro, N.C.
• North Carolina State University
• Raleigh, N.C.
• Old Dominion University
• Norfolk, Va,
• Shaw University
• Raleigh, N.C.
• South Carolina State University
• Orangeburg, S.C.
• Tennessee Tech University
• Cookeville, Tenn.
• Towson University
• Towson, Md.
• University of Delaware
• Newark, Dela.
• University of Maryland
• Adelphi, Md.
• University of North Carolina
• Chapel Hill, N.C.
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke
• Pembroke, N.C.
• University of Virginia
• Charlottesville, Va.
• Virginia State University
• Petersburg, Va.
• Virginia Tech University
• Blacksburg, Va.
• Virginia Union University
• Richmond, Va.
• Wake Forest University
• Winston-Salem, N.C.
• William and Mary College
• Williamsburg, Va.
• Winston-Salem State University
• Winston-Salem, N.C.

[Related: Food Lion Feeds, customers join to nourish neighbors]

Through Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion has helped to provide more than 1.2 billion meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. For more information on Food Lion Feeds’ commitment to ending hunger, visit foodlion.com/feeds.