SALISBURY, N.C., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading grocery retail group Ahold Delhaize USA and its local brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop – have announced new commitments to support nutrition education for children as part of the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. As part of this commitment, which is in addition to each brands’ longstanding work to end hunger and empower healthier choices, Ahold Delhaize USA companies will invest nearly $1 million to reach more than 200,000 children across 18 states and the District of Columbia with nutrition programming in 2024.

“Across each of our companies, we understand the critical role we play in nourishing local communities,” said JJ Fleeman, CEO, Ahold Delhaize USA. “We are proud to join with the White House and many others on this important initiative to continue our work to end hunger, encourage nutritious choices and enable healthy, vibrant futures for children and families.”

Ahold Delhaize USA brands will leverage new and existing programs to share the benefits of good nutrition with socioeconomically diverse children across their East Coast footprints. The commitment will be activated in a variety of ways, including:

• Food Lion will launch a new program that focuses on nutrition education by creating specific Guiding Stars nutrition guidance with age appropriate learning tools geared to elementary students.
• Hannaford will continue to drive awareness and usage of its Snack Pals platform, which helps educate kids and their caregivers about the benefits of good nutrition.
• Stop & Shop will bolster its school food pantry program, supporting food security for students ranging from pre-K through college, and will provide a new educational toolkit with nutritional support information for partner schools.
• The GIANT Company will continue to enhance its Growing with GIANT produce guide for school children.
• Giant Food will enhance nutrition classes in schools, libraries, and recreation centers.
  

In addition to these efforts, Ahold Delhaize USA brands will continue to address hunger in their communities through their food rescue programs, which provide on-going donations of unsold food to local food banks and pantries, by supporting hunger-relief programs and events, and via employment opportunities to address food insecurity. Longstanding leaders in eliminating hunger, since the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in late 2022, collectively, Ahold Delhaize USA brands donated approximately 500 million meals, provided more than $8 million in produce incentives, partnered with more than 400 local producers, and supported a common national standard for nutrition guidance.

Obtain more information about the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities here.

About Ahold Delhaize USA
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is the parent company of Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. companies, including its local brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. When considered together, the local brands of Ahold Delhaize USA comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest grocery retail group in the nation, operating more than 2,000 stores and 20 distribution centers across more than 20 states and serving millions of omnichannel customers each week.

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