Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread and Meals on Wheels programs recently received a donation of $2000 to support feeding citizens under each of the local charitable projects. Shown are Radford Food Lion representatives (left) Mike Walter, assistant manager, and grocery manager Darek Davis, with Donna Fern, director for RFDB/MOW.
The Radford Food Lion store has made a $2000 gift to the joint meals programs, Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread and Meals on Wheels, as part of the company’s Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation.
The grocery chain’s effort is designed to provide over 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020.
Established in 2001, the Food Lion Feeds foundation provides support for programs and organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry in the communities where the company has stores. It has made over $9 million in grants to date. Based in Salisbury, North Carolina, the chain has nearly 1000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.
RFDB and Meals on Wheels in the Radford community provide some 20,000 meals to those in need and those wanting companionship each year. The Food Lion donation will fund some 888 meals – either as served at the kitchen-dining room location on East Main Street or delivered to homebound citizens, according to Donna Fern, director of the local projects.
Volunteers for meals deliveries are trained until comfortable driving one of three routes in the city and in Fairlawn. Deliveries begin about 10 am and end about an hour later. Volunteers to assist in the dining room, before, during and after meal services, are also needed. Both programs are five days a week except holidays.
Help is also needed at various times and days to pick up foods and other items from Wal-Mart, and other donors, especially those with SUVs or trucks.
Anyone with time and desire to help is encouraged to contact Donna Fern at 336-380-5242, or for the MOW delivery routes, contact Karen Jones at 641-3883.
— Submitted by Bob Thomas