Food Lion connects with kids through grocery bags

Food Lion has come up with an artistic way to connect with the communities it serves and feed the hungry at the same time.

The retailer is inviting kids ages 5-14 to participate in its Food Lion Feeds "Summers Without Hunger" Design-a-Reusable-Bag Contest. The winning design will be featured on next year's Food Lion Feeds reusable bag, which will be sold in more than 1,100 stores in June. The campaign is anticipated to help provide another 1 million meals to families and children in need.

During the summer months, Food Lion says, some students go hungry because the only nutritious meal they receive is at school. To participate in the contest, kids are asked to draw how they would help feed someone who is hungry in their drawings, kids can show how everyone in the community can help - from family members, friends, their heroes, their school or other organization – or even the Food Lion lion.

In addition to having his or her drawing featured on the 2016 reusable bag, the grand prize winner will also receive an iPad Mini2 and a $1,000 donation to a food bank in his or her name. Up to four runners-up will all receive an iPad Mini and a $1,000 donation to a food bank in their names.

According to Food Lion, the contest has funded more than 81 million meals over the years. Food Lion's goal is to provide 500 million meals by 2020. Last year Food Lion spokeswoman Tara Robertson said the company would donate five meals for each reusable grocery bag sold, providing about 1 million meals. The company printed 240,000 of the reusable grocery bags, she said.

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., operates more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 66,000 associates.