Light House staff, volunteers, and board members preparing meals in The Light House community kitchen. (Photo credit - Sarah E. Ryan, Light House Director of Community Engagement)
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Light House was recently awarded a $5,000 Nourishing Neighbors grant from Safeway Foundation’s Breakfast for Kids Program to help feed children facing food insecurity and hunger. As food insecurity continues to rise, this grant provides much needed support by directly funding The Light House food program’s hunger relief efforts.
"Hunger is painful and traumatic for children and it impacts them in a multitude of ways,” said Heather Cassity, Executive Director at The Light House. “Hunger limits their ability to thrive in school, it causes social and behavioral problems, and it can cause them to experience developmental impairments and other severe health problems. At The Light House, we are dedicated to providing healthy and fresh meals to food insecure children in our community and this funding from our friends at Safeway Foundation is vital during these summer months. We are deeply grateful for their continued support as we work together to fight hunger in our community."
Last year alone, The Light House served over 82,000 meals and distributed 180,000 pounds of perishable and non-perishable food to individuals and families in Anne Arundel County. Their many homelessness prevention and support programs also provided emergency shelter, clothing, case management, and other vital services to thousands of community members in need.
“We’re pleased to partner with The Light House to address hunger issues in our community,” said Dana Ward, Safeway Foundation. “Nourishing Neighbors, together with partners like The Light House, is making our neighborhoods better for our most vulnerable community members.”
Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of Safeway Foundation. The program aims to eradicate hunger in America by keeping food banks stocked and supporting meal distribution programs at schools. In 2022, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $200 million in food and financial support, including over $40 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
About Safeway and Safeway Foundation: Safeway in the Mid-Atlantic Division is part of Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI). Locally great and nationally strong, Albertsons Cos. is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The Mid-Atlantic Division operates Safeway stores in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Delaware. Safeway is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. During 2022, Safeway and Safeway Foundation locally donated nearly $4 million in food and financial support to help people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities, and veterans. For more information, visit www.safeway.com and www.nourishingneighbors.com.
About The Light House: The Light House, located at 10 Hudson Street in Annapolis, has served the community as a basic needs provider of food, shelter, and case management services for over 30 years. Its mission is to help rebuild lives with compassion by providing shelter and services to prevent homelessness and empower people as they transition toward housing, employment, and self-sufficiency. For more information about The Light House, please visit their website at www.annapolislighthouse.org, or on Facebook/Instagram @annapolislighthouse.
