Food Lion Provides Food for Students at North Hills Elementary

Jon Martin and Kathy Whicker with North Hills students

At North Hills Elementary School on a recent afternoon, Food Lion representatives Kathy Whicker and Jon Martin handed out bags of extra food to students who participate in the school’s BackPack program, which provides weekend meals for some of the children at the school.

“Food Lion coming on board to provide additional food is a blessing to the families we serve,” said Principal Karen Roseboro. “This will help some of our students to concentrate on learning rather than worrying about that next meal. We are so grateful!”

“It means a lot,” said Alonzo Winfield, the school’s home/school coordinator. “It really helps out our kids.”

Alonzo Winfield with students

The donation grew out of another Food Lion outreach program, said Whicker, the company’s Winston-Salem Regional community leader for the 24 Food Lion stores in Forsyth County.

During the holidays, managers at each of the stores look for a family that they can help with food. Martin is the store manager of the Food Lion in the North Point Shopping Center, and, in the process of working with Winfield to find a North Hills family for the store to help, he and Whicker learned just how many of the families at North Hills could use help. At North Hills, 99 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

“The need is great!” Roseboro said.

When Whicker and Martin learned how great the need is, Whicker said, “Let’s see what we can do…You can’t have good school grades if you’re hungry.”

Whicker spoke with people in corporate community relations who agreed to donate food for students at the school. Food Lion ended up providing 1,244 pounds of such foods as oatmeal, juices, canned tuna and chicken, apple sauce and peanut butter.

“We are committed as a company to help feed the hungry,” Whicker said.

That food was used to supplement the food given to students through the school’s BackPack program. , Working with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, IL Long Construction Co., TW Garner Food Co., Piney Grove Baptist Church and St. Paul United Methodist Church sponsor the program at North Hills.

“We are thankful to have the support of faith-based and business partners to support us combating child hunger,” Roseboro said.

Winfield sees Food Lion’s donation as part of a developing relationship with the people at the North Point store. Leo, the Food Lion mascot, already visited some classrooms, and, in March, he said, students will head to the store for an event called Math Night.

“It’s been great working with them,” Winfield said.

“It’s a natural process for us,” Martin said.