Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief Campaign Asks Community To Help Feed Needy Children And Families

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 4, 2012) — With one out of five children in America not knowing when they will eat their next meal, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. has launched the Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief program in all Winn-Dixie stores during the holiday season.  From now until Dec. 24, Winn-Dixie is asking its customers to help make a difference in one of two ways:

• By generously donating any amount they choose at the point of checkout though easy-to-use tear pads/scan sheets found at the register
• By purchasing specially-marked Winn-Dixie brand products, including water, coffee, diapers and condiments, whose manufacturers have generously donated to this program

All dollars raised by tear pads/scan sheets will go directly to local Feeding America-affiliated food banks, including Feeding America Tampa Bay, which in turn will provide nutritious, fresh foods to people struggling with hunger.  For every dollar donated, Winn-Dixie customers will help neighbors in need. 

“No societal problem is more aligned with Winn-Dixie’s core business nor touches the hearts of our customers more than childhood hunger,” said Mary Kellmanson, Winn-Dixie SVP of Marketing. “Every child deserves a nutritious meal and a healthy start to life. The Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief program provides a simple but critical way for our communities to tackle this critical issue. ”

“Feeding America Tampa Bay is projected to distribute more than 35 million pounds of food this year as we continue working to meet the increased needs in our community,” said Thomas Mantz, executive director of Feeding America Tampa Bay. “Through this program, Winn-Dixie and its customers can have a profound effect on this critical issue, providing children the basic nutrition they need to face each day successfully.”

Winn-Dixie and Feeding America Tampa Bay are also asking customers to further the cause by helping spread the word through social media. Twitter users are encouraged to follow @WinnDixie and use the hash tag #Tweet2Eat when they donate in stores or share the cause with their followers. Follow Winn-Dixie on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news on donation efforts and updates.

About Feeding America Tampa Bay

Founded in 1982, Feeding America Tampa Bay makes a difference in the lives of thousands of people each week through its distribution to a partnership network of more than 600 faith-based and other incorporated non-profit hunger relief organizations. The food bank’s mission, “Ending Hunger, Nourishing Hope,” serves a food-insecure population of close to 700,000 residents across West Central Florida; 250,000 of those struggling with hunger in the area are children. Receiving surplus food donations from growers, manufacturers, supermarkets and organized community food drives, Feeding America Tampa Bay supplied more than 28 million pounds of food to its 10-county service area in the past year - enough to provide more than a million and a half meals every month to those who would otherwise go hungry.  Feeding America Tampa Bay is a member of the national Feeding America network.  feedingamericatampabay.org

 About Winn-Dixie

Winn-Dixie is a subsidiary of BI-LO Holding, which is the ninth-largest traditional supermarket chain in the United States. Under the banner names of BI-LO and Winn-Dixie, the company employs 63,000 team members who serve customers in 689 grocery stores and 483 in-store pharmacies throughout the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. BI-LO and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and loyal team members, and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, please visit www.bi-lo.com and www.winn-dixie.com.

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