One bag of food can go a long way and $20,000 can mean a lot of bags.
The Food Lion store in south Greenwood made the donation to the Food Bank of the Lakelands to help kick off the store’s new Food Lion to Go system. The system has been set up in all three of the Greenwood stores, said store manager Jeremy Fuller, who presented an oversized check to Andrea White, executive director of the food bank.
It is the first time the south side of Greenwood has had such an option, he said of the system that officially launched at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Instacart is a third-party system that gives an online option to shop. Fuller said current Instacart users can now shop at Food Lion stores and users new to Food Lion to Go can download the app.
The new system opened at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Fuller said by 9:05 a.m., the first order had come in.
Fuller said he doesn’t know what percentage of customers use Door Dash or Instacart, but up to 90% of stores now offer the option and in time, all stores will offer it.
It is convenient for customers, he said. People can make a list online when they are at work and the food will be ready for pickup when they arrive.
The store has been active for 18 years and Fuller said volume and customer counts have at least doubled, he said. He attributed the changes to the growth the south side of town has experienced, particularly population.
“I like to say we’re the draw for this side of town,” he said.
The donation comes at a good time for the food bank. White said there has been an influx of clients since last year’s SNAP cuts. Some families had to requalify for assistance or some services were cut. The grant will help fill the gaps.
It will help people buy fresh fruits and vegetables, especially since the Piggly Wiggly store closed on Main Street, she said. The food bank has been able to buy produce locally over the last two months.
The Food Lion stores have provided produce as well, including up to 2,000 bags of apples that went to the food bank and schools and churches, Fuller said. White acknowledged it, recalling the food bank was giving away apples left and right.
Since the closing of Piggly Wiggly, the food bank has seen more traffic, with people asking about food and dry items such as paper and hygiene products. White said the food bank is providing items to diners in the soup kitchen.
There is concern about how some residents can shop since the closing, especially as some lack transportation. White said she and other officials hope to talk with state lawmakers about the possibility of getting another grocery store to locate in Greenwood.
For now, the food bank has a stable inventory, she said, although she acknowledged it is hard to say that business is going well. “You don’t ever want people to lack food or necessary goods,” White said. “The work is heavy, but it’s rewarding to help people fill basic needs.”
Food Lion officials met with Piggly Wiggly staff before the store’s closing and offered jobs to workers. Some are now working with Food Lion, Fuller said. Both part-time and full-time positions are available. People can visit foodlion.com/careers to see a list of open positions, he said. The store also has seen an increase in business since the closing.
In November, the store will work on a food box program that will provide boxed dinner items. Fuller said he hopes to provide up to 1,000 boxes throughout the month.
Contact staff writer Robert Jordan at 864-943-5650.
