Food Lion Feeds provides food, help for CUOC

Sep. 7—Most students can't wait until the weekend — when they can relax, play, ride bikes and do other fun things.

For some students, though, the weekends could mean having little or no food depending on circumstances.

The Christians United Outreach Center of Lee County wants to ensure that students who struggle with food insecurity are able to eat healthy meals all weekend.

On Thursday, CUOC received more than 3,900 pounds of nonperishable foods, a donation from Food Lion Feeds, a nonprofit arm of the grocery store.

Volunteers from various Food Lion stores in the area helped pack food into bags that will be delivered to various schools. Once there, guidance counselors will see that are given to students who received breakfasts and lunches for free or at a reduced cost.

"The 3,900 pounds of food will ensure that people can nourish themselves over the weekend," said Ed Oxendine, director of operations for the Food Lion program.

The donated food provided 550 weekend bags of food including canned meats and vegetables, noodles, fruit juices, milk products and more, said Tammy Martin, coordinator of the CUOC Back Pack Pals program.

Some of the food will help stock the shelves at CUOC's home base on Lee Avenue.

"We do this often," Oxendine said. "We love to help the community and help the team giving the food."

Teresa Kelly, the former CUOC executive director, was among those helping with the bags. She is now with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina where she is director of regional development in the Sandhills region.

The food bank is among the nonprofits that have partnered with Food Lion Feeds.

Each dollar donated to Food Lion Feeds will provide five meals, Kelly said.

"We want to nourish our neighbors," said Elizabeth Holbrook, CUOC's executive director.

In addition to the non-perishable items, Food Lion Feeds also provided $5,000 Food Lion Gift Cards.

The Food Lion associates work at local and regional stores in Sanford, Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Apex, Oxendine said.

Each of Sanford's four stores was represented among the volunteers.

Other communities include Garner, Roanoke Rapids, Wake Forest, Durham, Tillery, Raleigh and Fayetteville.