Embassy Outreach Ministries receives pantry makeover from Food Lion Feeds

The Embassy Outreach Ministries has received $6,000 from Food Lion Feeds to help improve operations, increase its capacity to donate more food to food-insecure neighbors and purchase needed equipment. Embassy Outreach Ministries, a partner agency with Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, received the funds through Food Lion Feeds’ The Great Pantry Makeover effort. In addition to providing funds for the capital improvement project, local Food Lion associates will provide support by donating volunteer hours as part of its largest associate volunteer initiative.

“What Food Lion did was make it easier for us to feed hundreds of people in the community,” said Pastor Ric Roman of Embassy Outreach Ministries food pantry.

The pantry makeover helps create sustainability in operations and allows the pantry to serve more people. For example, the refrigeration units will allow them to have more fresh food, the shelving will allow them to safely store and access the food when needed, and the computers will help them operate more efficiently. Additionally, the pantry will receive a shelf-stable and perishable donation to stock the pantry and more than $3,500 in Food Lion gift cards in support of the food pantry through the holidays and winter months.

The annual campaign takes place every September to align with Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds deepens its extensive existing partnership with the Feeding America network of food banks and food pantries to raise awareness and inspire action to help people facing impossible choices resulting from food insecurity.

“We are proud to partner with Embassy Outreach during Hunger Action Month to help raise awareness of this nationwide effort to help end hunger,” said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion. “The Great Pantry Makeover provides our associates a great opportunity to connect with their neighbors while nourishing the towns and cities we serve.”

Now in its eighth year, Food Lion associates support these local efforts by volunteering to complete pantry improvements. Their volunteer hours include remodels ranging from painting and cleaning pantries to installing shelving, freezers, coolers, and other equipment to expand the capacity for fresh fruits, vegetables and other products. In addition to performing the work, Food Lion associates will stock the pantry shelves with food.