Food Lion Surprises Richmond, Va., 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 community surrounding Reinland Drive in Richmond, Va., awoke this morning to free groceries delivered to their doorsteps.

Between July 12 and July 27, local residents nominated their neighborhoods for the surprise via the Food Lion Facebook page.

"I am so glad that Food Lion chose our neighborhood," said Reinland Drive resident Anita Stoudmire, who submitted the winning entry for Saturday's event. "I think I was born to help people. When I was notified that our neighborhood was selected, I just thought ... fantastic!"

In her Facebook submission, Stoudmire shared about her community’s special bond. “All of us know our neighbors and we truly are there for one another,” she wrote. “We have get-togethers and cookouts, we invite each other over to swim, and several of us garden and give the produce to our neighbors in need. We take out each other’s trash cans to the curb, we come together in storms and power outages, and we genuinely speak to each other every day. I absolutely love my little block because it reminds me of so many years ago when the people you lived near really cared and would do anything for you! I just can't wait to share these groceries with them because some of them really need it and would be so grateful!”

On Saturday, Stoudmire 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 2,000 my essentials products.

In addition, Food Lion also plans to donate $20,000 to area non-profit organizations as part of Operation Grocery Drop. Three agencies – Meals on Wheels Serving Central Virginia, Richmond International Airport USO Center and Richmond Public Schools’ Regional Preschool Learning Center at Maymont – will compete via an online voting contest. Starting today through Sept. 4, 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 contribution, of the $20,000 donation.

Food Lion will surprise other communities in its footprint throughout the remainder of the year, and additional neighborhoods will be announced in the near future.

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 57,000 associates delivering quality products, low prices and service to customers in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.