Winn Dixie Provides 'Hunger Relief' in the South Florida Community

Community Investment - 11/22/2012

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. |5050 Edgewood Court | Jacksonville, Fla.  32254 | (904) 783-5000

MEDIA CONTACTS:    Mayra Hernandez                 Lisa Stoch                                                                    

                                       Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.        Feeding South Florida

                                       (954) 730-7730                     (954) 518-1818

                                       (954) 309-9606 (cell)           lstoch@feedingsouthflorida.org

                                       MayraHernandez@winn-dixie.com             

WINN-DIXIE HUNGER RELIEF CAMPAIGN

ASKS COMMUNITY TO HELP FEED NEEDY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

MIAMI, Fla. (Nov. 13, 2012) — With one out of five children in America not knowing when they will eat their next meal, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. has launched the Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief program in all Winn-Dixie stores during the holiday season.  From Nov. 7 until Dec. 25, Winn-Dixie is asking its customers to help make a difference in one of two ways:

• By generously donating any amount they choose at the point of checkout though easy-to-use tear pads/scan sheets found at the register
• By purchasing specially-marked Winn-Dixie brand products, including water, coffee, diapers and condiments, whose manufacturers have generously donated to this program

All dollars raised by tear pads/scan sheets will go directly to local Feeding America-affiliated food banks, including Feeding South Florida, which in turn will provide nutritious, fresh foods to people struggling with hunger.  For every dollar donated, Winn-Dixie customers will help neighbors in need. 

“No societal problem is more aligned with Winn-Dixie’s core business nor touches the hearts of our customers more than childhood hunger,” said Mary Kellmanson, Winn-Dixie SVP of Marketing. “Every child deserves a nutritious meal and a healthy start to life. The Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief program provides a simple but critical way for our communities to tackle this critical issue. ”

“Feeding South Florida is projected to distribute more than 40 million pounds of food this year as we continue working to meet the increased needs in our community,” said Paco Velez, CEO & President of Feeding South Florida. “Through this program, Winn-Dixie and its customers can have a profound effect on this critical issue, providing children the basic nutrition they need to face each day successfully.”

Winn-Dixie and Feeding South Florida are also asking customers to further the cause by helping spread the word through social media. Twitter users are encouraged to follow @WinnDixie and use the hash tag #Tweet2Eat when they donate in stores or share the cause with their followers. Follow Winn-Dixie on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news on donation efforts and updates.

About Feeding South Florida

Feeding South Florida™ is a nonprofit organization that empowers other South Florida nonprofit organizations to assist people in need and improve their lives. Feeding South Florida does this by providing food and other grocery products, and by educating and engaging the community to fight hunger and poverty. Through a local network of approximately 450 other nonprofit organizations, Feeding South Florida strives to serve almost 1 million individuals in need, including more than 340,000 children who are food insecure, the elderly, the mentally and physically challenged, veterans and the working poor, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties with compassion and integrity. Feeding South Florida, the largest food bank in the state, is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2011, Feeding South Florida distributed over 30 million pounds of food valued at almost $50 million within the South Florida community. Feeding South Florida’s headquarters is located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL, 33023. For more information, please call (954) 518-1818 or visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org.

About Winn-Dixie

Winn-Dixie is a subsidiary of BI-LO Holding, which is the ninth-largest traditional supermarket chain in the United States. Under the banner names of BI-LO and Winn-Dixie, the company employs 63,000 team members who serve customers in 689 grocery stores and 483 in-store pharmacies throughout the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. BI-LO and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and loyal team members, and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, please visit www.bi-lo.com and www.winn-dixie.com.

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