Food Lion Helps in Irene’s Wake
To aid people affected by Hurricane Irene, Food Lion has donated $6,000 to the American Red Cross, as well as contributing more than $100,000 for in-kind donations to communities and disaster-relief agencies, and is continuing to provide bottled water, food, ice and other essential supplies to communities affected by the storm. The Delhaize America division is additionally urging its shoppers to take part in its disaster-relief campaign running through Sept. 6, with funds earmarked for the American Red Cross.
“At the peak of the storm, our company had more than 500 stores from South Carolina to Delaware affected by Hurricane Irene,” noted Tim Shipman, director of crisis management for Salisbury, N.C.-based Delhaize America. “The storm brought devastating damage to our markets, and we quickly mobilized our recovery teams to restore service to our customers, ensure the safety of our associates and provide much-needed supplies to communities in need. It’s a remarkable effort and a true testament to the dedication of our associates that we have reopened all but two Food Lion stores in the path of Irene, so we may serve our customers during this critical time.”
As soon as it could safely re-enter storm-ravaged areas, Food Lion organized truckloads of free water, ice and ready-to-eat food to affected communities, mainly in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina. The grocer distributed more than 21,600 gallons of water, about 20,000 bags of ice and more than 2,000 bottles of bleach to local residents, among other necessary items. Food Lion additionally helped out associates who were sidelined by Irene.
Further, a partnership with the American Red Cross encourages North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland customers to make checkout donations in support of recovery efforts and to help replenish the organization’s funds for providing disaster relief in affected areas served by Food Lion.
“Hurricane Irene has deeply impacted the lives of many of our customers,” observed Bill Garcia, Food Lion community relations manager. “This campaign is another opportunity for us to help our neighbors in need.”
In other Irene-related Food Lion news, the grocer has reopened its store in Avon, N.C., store on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks, Located on Highway 12, which was destroyed by the storm, the location will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily until the local curfew is lifted and the highway is fully restored. On-site repairs have been carried out , including to a generator struck by lightning, and associates are restocking products as quickly as possible. Food Lion is shipping groceries by ferry until the roads are sufficiently repaired to allow trucks to travel on them.
Food Lion operates more than 1,200 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the Food Lion, Harveys or Reid’s banners, employing about 62,500 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.