Lowes Foods Launches ‘Friends Feeding Friends’

Lowes Foods has rolled out its 17th annual food drive, “Friends Feeding Friends,” which runs through Dec. 31. In support of the drive, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based grocer is collecting food donations in all of its stores, which are located in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The donations will go to local food banks.

Customers can buy pre-made bags of nonperishable items most needed by the food banks in any Lowes Foods or Just $ave Foods store. Donation bins at the front of each store make food donations quick and easy. Shoppers can also donate cash at the register in $1, $3 and $5 increments.

Since 1995, Lowes has collected more than 16 million pounds of food. The goal this year is to raise more than 600,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of around 504,000 meals for the needy. Friends Feeding Friends is the largest food drive in North Carolina.

“Part of our responsibility as a family-owned, Carolinas-based company is to help our less fortunate friends and neighbors,” noted Steve Hall, president of Lowes, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alex Lee Inc. that employs 9,000 people and operates 107 stores.

Businesses, local schools and civic groups are also involved in the food drive. Area schools that team with Lowes Foods on the food drive are able to earn Campbell’s Labels for Education points.

Kick-off events at several Lowes Foods locations were attended by county officials, along with representatives from the food banks, local schools and Lowes Foods. The events were sponsored by General Mills, which is donating $20,000 to the drive.

Constellation Wines and Miller/Coors are also providing donations to the cause. Additionally, Sunrise Broadcasting will hold its seventh annual 24-hour food drive at the South College Road Lowes location in Wilmington, N.C., on Nov. 19, and adult contemporary radio station WGNI will give away the chance to win two trips to Disney World to local donors on Nov.12 and Nov. 19.