The Lexington County School District One Educational Foundation recently received a $1,500 grant from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation to assist students in need.
The grant is very timely, as many of students’ families have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have been unable to work due to their place of employment temporarily or permanently closing.
“This generous grant from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation will be a tremendous help to our students and their families who are struggling right now,” said Julie Anderson Washburn, Executive Director of the Lexington One Educational Foundation.
“Our Lexington District One social workers have a growing list of families affected by the coronavirus and this grant will better enable our staff to provide food to these families during this difficult period. We are extremely thankful for this most generous donation.”
During the summer months social workers helped many families each week with bags full of groceries. They shopped using donated funds, and then sorted and bagged items so that they could deliver the needed groceries to referred families.
“Since our schools closed in March I have seen a larger number of requests from our students’ families this year due to the coronavirus,” Lexington District One Social Worker Alma Puentes Ruiz said. “This Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation grant is a wonderful help to us in giving these families the food they need when the parents cannot work and provide for their own families.”
Established in 2001, the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation provides financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry in the communities it serves. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants.