Food Lion managers from across Durham and their community relations team from Salisbury, NC joined forces on Tuesday, November 13th to transform Brogden Middle School’s School Pantry, which is supported by the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and PORCH-Durham.
Food Lion Feed’s Great Pantry Makeover generously donated metal shelves, a chalk board divider, non-perishable staples, frozen foods, and fresh produce to the pantry. But it was the heavy lifting that really made the difference. Employees cleared out old food, removed shelving, and completely cleaned the room. Laughs and smiles were nonstop as Food Lion employees competed to build over 10 new metal shelves for the pantry.
“We know there is a great need in the community for fresh foods. This year as part of our donation we brought oranges, onions, potatoes, frozen chicken wings, frozen chicken breast, and frozen meatballs,” said Matt Harakal, Media and Community Relations Manager at Food Lion. “We are glad we can provide hearty nutritious meals, especially this time of year with it getting colder, to the students of Brogden.”
The Brogden School Pantry currently serves 20-25 students each weekend. Volunteer parents and the Brogden PTA faithfully prepare bags of complete meals and snacks for students to take home over the weekend. The pantry makeover will allow the pantry to reach even more students.
“Brogden has a lot of students living below standard,” says Cyenthia Fuller, Data Manager at Brogden who assists with pantry operations. “Having the food pantry here gives students the opportunity to have food over the weekend. It’s a great benefit!”
A big thank you to Food Lion Feeds and all the Food Lion employees who gave up a work day to make a difference at Brogden Middle School! It really was a Great Pantry Makeover!
