Food Lion Donates $5,000 to Fredericksburg Area Food Bank

The Food Lion Charitable Foundation donated $5,000 to the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Oya Oliver, the food bank's executive director, said the money will be used to purchase more food for the Food for Life program.

“Every day our seniors have to make tough decisions between paying for electricity or medicine and using their funds to buy food," she said. "We are very appreciative to Food Lion for easing this burden. Their gift will help supply 20,000 meals to the seniors and disabled through the Food for Life program."

The food bank's Food for Life program provides a box of food and supplemental grocery items each month to those in need, the elderly and disabled. More than 3,000 people in the area qualify for the program, but only 1,600 are enrolled.

Oliver said many of these residents do not qualify for food stamps, or if they do qualify, they only receive a small amount each month. She said other bills often take precedent over buying nutritious food. The Food Lion Charitable Foundation was established in 2001 to provide financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry in the communities it serves.