SALISBURY, N.C., Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion Feeds is once again teaming up with college campuses to address food insecurity among students. The annual Sack to Give Back program, now in its sixth year, is part of an ongoing effort to nourish neighbors in the towns and cities Food Lion serves.
This year, 34 colleges and universities are participating in Sack to Give Back at a time when nearly half of college students experience food insecurity, according to a study by the Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University. Since its launch in 2019, Sack to Give Back has contributed more than 3.8 million meals to college and community pantries.
Food Lion Feeds will donate the equivalent of 1,000 meals (up to 30,000 meals per school) for every quarterback sack made by the participating institution. The meals will be distributed among campus food pantries or affiliated Feeding America® partner food banks.
The program kicks off in September to align with Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about hunger and inspire action to end food insecurity.
“When college students struggle to afford healthy meals, it can have a significant impact on their academic performance,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion. “Sack to Give Back gets football teams and fans involved in a unique way to help reduce food insecurity on their respective campuses, giving all students an opportunity to succeed. We are proud to continue partner with colleges and universities to make this significant impact.”
Participating colleges and universities for the 2025 Sack to Give Back program are:
| College/University | Food Bank/Pantry |
| Appalachian State University | Mountaineer Food Hub |
| Bluefield State University | SGA Food Pantry |
| Bowie State University | Nutrition Lounge |
| Catawba College | Laura's Place Food Pantry |
| East Carolina University | ECU Williams-Ross Purple Pantry |
| Elizabeth City State University | Vikings Care School Pantry |
| Elon University | Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC |
| Fayetteville State University | FSU Food Resource Pantry |
| Gardner-Webb University | Second Harvest of Metrolina |
| Georgia Southern University | America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia |
| Hampton University | Hampton U Pirate Pantry |
| James Madison University | Blue Ridge Area Food Bank |
| Johnson C Smith University | Golden Bulls General Market |
| Liberty University | Blue Ridge Area Food Bank |
| Lincoln University | Lion Pantry |
| Livingstone College | Blue Bear Food Pantry |
| North Carolina A&T University | Aggie Source Food Pantry |
| North Carolina State University | NCSU "Feed the Pack" Pantry |
| Old Dominion University | SEVA |
| Shaw University | The BEAR Essentials Pantry |
| South Carolina State University | Bulldog Express Pantry |
| Tennessee Tech University | Tennessee Tech Food Pantry |
| Towson University | Maryland Food Bank |
| University of Maryland | Capital Area Food Bank |
| University of Delaware | Food Bank of Delaware |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC Carolina Cupboard Pantry |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | The CARE Resource Center |
| University of Virginia | Blue Ridge Area Food Bank |
| Virginia State University | Troy Store Food Pantry |
| Virginia Tech University | Feeding Southwest Virginia |
| Virginia Union University | FeedMore |
| Wake Forest University | Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC |
| William & Mary College | Virginia Peninsula |
| Winston-Salem State University | Rams Helping Hands Food Pantry |
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.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment.
| CONTACTS: | Food Lion Media Relations |
| 704-245-3317 | |
| publicrelationsteam@foodlion.com | |
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da484d11-397c-41fe-abc0-1b98abb6ee9c
