Giant Food kicks off Lend a Hand for Hunger program

Ahead of the holidays, Giant Food is kicking off its annual Lend a Hand for Hunger campaign to benefit five area Feeding America food banks – Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank – and other area nonprofits.

The campaign, running from Oct. 28 to Dec. 31 in all 164 Giant stores, offers customers an opportunity to support their neighbors by rounding up their change to the nearest dollar amount during checkout in-store or selecting a donation of $1, $3 or $5 during checkout in-store or online. The program's goal is to raise more than $1 million to support the fight against hunger.

Additionally, in partnership with Shady Brook Farms, Giant Food will be donating 10,000 turkeys to its local Feeding America food banks partners as well as local organizations including Martha's Table, Manna Food Center, THEARC: Building Bridges Across The River, Greater Washington Urban League and Greater Baltimore Urban League. Since 2011, Giant has donated 52,000 turkeys during Thanksgiving and this year, Shady Brook Farms is providing additional turkeys to make an even larger impact.

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"We realize many of our neighbors are facing tough choices when it comes to their food dollars, and, as in years past, we want to do our part to make sure our neighbors in need enjoy their holiday celebrations with a traditional turkey meal," said Ira Kress, president of Giant Food. "We are thrilled to partner with Shady Book Farms to nearly double our annual turkey donation program and are grateful to be able to extend our support to even more families."

"At Shady Brook Farms, we take great responsibility in not only giving back during the critical holiday season, but also throughout the year to ensure families and local communities have access to delicious and nutritious meals," said Hannah Kern, Shady Brook Farms marketing manager. "Partnering with a like-minded organization such as Giant Food to provide turkeys to those in need is incredibly meaningful and we're beyond appreciative of their collaboration on impactful initiatives such as this."

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