Winn-Dixie donates more than 6 million meals through food recovery program

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After piloting a food recovery program in 2009 and expanding it to all of its stores last year, Winn-Dixie announced Monday that it has provided more than 6 million meals to the affiliate food banks of Feeding America.

The grocer partners with local Feeding America affiliate food banks in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, donating perishable items that reach their "sell by" date but are still usable and nutritious to feed the hungry, Winn-Dixie said.

“Food banks continue to see requests for help from many families who are struggling to provide three square meals a day,” Winn-Dixie group VP marketing Mary Kellmanson said. “At Winn-Dixie, our goal is to be at the heart of our neighborhoods, and that’s why we created the food recovery program — to ease the stress on the food banks and to help provide better nutrition to families who need it the most.”