Food Lion Surprises Charlotte, N.C., Neighborhood with Free Groceries

Grocer Invites Customers to Vote for Which of Three Area Nonprofits Will Receive “Lion’s Share” of $20,000 Donation

Public Company Information:
NYSE: DEG

Food Lion surprised today a local neighborhood with free groceries from its my essentials store brand product line. As part of Food Lion’s Operation Grocery Drop, residents living in the Plaza-Midwood community in Charlotte, N.C., awoke this morning to free groceries delivered to their doorsteps.

Local residents nominated their neighborhoods for the surprise via the Food Lion Facebook page between Sept.10-28, and Plaza-Midwood resident Salem MacKnee submitted the winning entry. "My neighbors were delighted, just thrilled down to their boots!" she said about Saturday’s event.

In her Facebook submission, MacKnee shared about her “magical” neighborhood. “I've only lived in Plaza-Midwood for six months, but in this magical neighborhood, it seems as if every other house holds an old, dear friend who is delighted to welcome me,” she wrote. “My children's teachers from years ago; parents I served on PTAs with; former co-workers, offspring of co-workers ¬– everywhere I look there's someone I know. If I don't know the neighbor, I'm likely to know their church choir director, someone they're on a board with, some connection. The road outside my windows streams with joggers, dog-walkers, bicyclists, parents with strollers all day and into the evening. When I walk to a neighbor's house I'll most likely be stopped along the way by new friends and invited to sit and have a glass of wine on the porch. When I'm on my porch and a car passes, the driver always looks to see if they know me, and even if they don't, they give me a big smile because after all, it's Plaza-Midwood!”

"It was so nice for Food Lion to come and recognize that neighborly feeling,” MacKnee said Saturday. MacKnee and her neighbors had the opportunity to select among a variety of household staples to fill their pantries. During the course of the morning, the company gave away approximately 2,000 my essentials products.

In addition, Food Lion also plans to donate $20,000 to local non-profit organizations as part of Operation Grocery Drop. Three agencies – North Carolina Heroes’ Fund, Project L.I.F.T. and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – will compete via an online voting contest. Starting today through Oct. 30, customers may vote for their favorite charity via a special tab on the Food Lion Facebook page. The agency with the most votes will receive the “lion’s share,” or largest portion, of the $20,000 donation.

Follow the Operation Grocery Drop excitement on Twitter via hashtag #GroceryDrop. Find Food Lion business updates on Twitter @FoodLionNews or at www.foodlion.com/corporate/pressroom.

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG) and operates more than 1,100 supermarkets. The company employs approximately 58,000 associates delivering quality products, low prices and service to customers in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.