Lowcountry Food Bank partner agencies Allen AME Church and Blessed Hands Food Pantry received makeovers last week from Food Lion Feeds to help improve operations, increase their capacity to nourish food-insecure neighbors and purchase needed equipment. Allen AME Church and Blessed Hands Food Pantry received the funds through the Food Lion Feeds annual event, The Great Pantry Makeover. In addition to providing funds for the capital improvement project, local Food Lion associates provided support by donating volunteer hours as part of its largest associate volunteer initiative. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.
Allen AME Church received facilities upgrades, parking lot improvements, and food pantry restocking. “This Pantry Makeover makes picking up food more convenient and comfortable for the neighbors we serve. Once people walk through this door, they become neighbors, and they stay and chat," said Marie Megget, Director of Allen AME Food Pantry. "Now when they come inside, they’re going to see how nice Food Lion made it for them. We pick-up donated food from two Food Lion stores and the majority of our food comes from them. We couldn’t do it without Food Lion. This Pantry Makeover shows our neighbors that we are here because of them."
Blessed Hands Food Pantry received fresh paint, food shelf installation, and food pantry restocking. "Food Lion allows us to serve the community, particularly our unhoused neighbors, with fresh and ready-to-eat foods," said Cathy Hughes, Director of Blessed Hands Food Pantry. "Seniors in the community enjoy the fresh produce because it allows them to have a snack without having to cook a whole meal. With Food Lion’s support, we are able to have a pantry that is a safe and welcoming place for the community. There are so many people suffering from food insecurity, but because of Food Lion’s flexibility, we can serve our neighbors at times that work best for them," Cathy said. "The food we receive from Food Lion is safe and good quality when our neighbors come by for their appointments. Having this makeover helps us continue our effort to serve our community in ways that work best for our neighbors."
Lowcountry Food Bank has designed a strategic layout for the pantries to help neighbors easily find all the foods they need to stay healthy. Colorful signage and posters provided by the Food Bank and donated by Food Lion will provide nutrition information and knowledge about upcoming pantry events. Additionally, the pantries received a nonperishable donation to stock the pantries.
The annual Makeover campaign takes place every September to align with National Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its extensive partnership with Feeding America® to highlight the impact food can have on a person’s life and inspire action to end hunger within their communities. Since 2015, Food Lion Feeds has renovated or supported more than 280 food pantries through The Great Pantry Makeover.
“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, Food Lion. “When we collaborate with our community feeding partners to create innovative solutions, such as pantry makeovers, we increase access to nutritious food so our neighbors and their families can have the nourishment they deserve.”
Now in its 10th year, Food Lion associates support these local efforts by volunteering to complete pantry improvements. During this 30-day effort, Food Lion associates volunteer for activities such as painting and cleaning pantries to install shelving, freezers, coolers and other equipment to expand the capacity for fresh fruits, vegetables and additional products. In addition to performing the work, Food Lion associates will stock the pantry shelves with food.
