Food Lion Gives Back to Wounded Warrior Project
Grocery Chain Donates to Veterans Charity as Part of Believe In Heroes Campaign
JACKSONVILLE, FL. (November 12, 2015) – Food Lion hosted a special breakfast on Veterans Day at its corporate headquarters to present a $2 million donation to Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). The in-‐store initiative, which ran from Oct. 21 through Nov. 10 was a part of the WWP Believe In Heroes® campaign.
The donation by Food Lion will go to support the 20 free, life-‐saving programs and services that are offered by WWP, which are uniquely structured to engage warriors, nurture their minds and bodies, and encourage economic empowerment. Since 2003, WWP has grown its programs and services to meet the growing needs of the constituency it serves. Currently, WWP provides support to more than 80,000 injured service members and over 13,000 caregivers and family support members. Through a high-‐touch and interactive approach, WWP’s vision is to foster the most successful, well-‐adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history.
“At Food Lion, we are honored to support our military and veteran associates and customers,” said Rudy DiPietro, vice president of Merchandising for Food Lion. “Whether it's helping a teammate's family out while being deployed or raising money for Wounded Warrior Project in our stores, giving back to our communities and helping our neighbors is so important to who we are and what we do. We want our customers to know that we are there for them and they can count of Food Lion to meet their needs.”
Food Lion presented the check to WWP Alumnus Deven Schei, a U.S. Army Veteran. On Wednesday morning, Deven shared his story at the ceremony at Food Lion’s offices in Salisbury. Deven grew up in a military family; his father and his brother both served in the United States Army. After his brother Erik took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom and suffered a catastrophic injury that rendered him quadriplegic, Deven promised to finish the job his brother started and joined the Army as well. Fate dealt its own hand to Deven when four 80mm rockets wounded him, removing from him combat in Afghanistan. What followed was a painful recovery that included more than 17 surgeries. Throughout his journey, he found inspiration from his family and from the numerous injured service members he’s met who continue to live productive lives.
“This partnership with Food Lion shows what can be achieved for our nation’s wounded veterans when like-‐minded organizations join forces to honor and empower Wounded Warriors,” said Gary Corless, executive vice president of Strategic Giving at WWP. “We are grateful to Food Lion for their continued generosity, support and the critical resources they are providing to us to make a positive impact in the lives of injured service members.”
Believe in Heroes is one of the largest national cause marketing campaigns in the United States, annually bringing together brands, retailers and consumers in support of injured service members, their caregivers and families. The 2015 Believe in Heroes campaign began on Oct. 24, and runs until Nov. 20. The campaign aims to tell the stories of warriors and bring to light the non-‐profit organization’s long-‐term needs in order to honor and empower Wounded
Warriors. Believe in Heroes calls upon on Americans to support the brands that support our heroes. For more information, visit wwpbelieve.org.
Contact: Mattison Brooks – Public Relations Specialist
Email: mbrooks@woundedwarriorproject.org
Phone: 904.451-‐5590
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 66,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.