For the second year in a row, BI- LO Charities is working with members of the Columbia- area community to provide much- needed food for Harvest Hope Food Bank. The effort is particularly critical in light of recent economic conditions as many hunger relief organizations struggle with growing clientele base and diminished contributions.

Many families, during the school year, rely on government- supported breakfast and lunch programs to ensure their children get three meals each day. During the summer, the need is amplified, and many more families are now having to reach out to local food banks for support.

Now through August 25, join together to help neighbors in need by purchasing a specially marked grocery bag. This bag contains three complete family meals. The bags can be deposited in a bin at the entrance of any BI- LO store. Harvest Hope Food Bank will pick up the food which is distributed to local families.

The Summer Hunger Relief bags, which are available for purchase at all BI- LO locations, are packed with items that are most often requested by food banks, such as: macaroni and cheese, beans, soup, dry spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, and tuna.

Marsha Thompson, director of communications with Harvest Hope Food Bank, said that there was a 40 percent increase in the number of people needing assistance in 2008 alone, and they expect the overall need in 2009 to be even higher.

"We're so grateful to BI- LO and the community for the help they provide us with the Hunger Relief bags. We're able to feed a lot more people with the assistance," Thompson said.

"Last year, we were able to supply local food banks with almost 100,000 bags of food. This year the need is even greater. The Summer Hunger Relief program gives us the opportunity to lend a helping hand to our neighbors who are victims of this difficult economy, and the driving force behind the success of this program is the generosity of our customers," said Carol Browning, executive director of BI- LO Charities.

Formed in 1998, BI- LO Charities, Inc. manages BI- LO's extensive charitable giving programs, including the annual BI- LO Charity Classic golf tournament, which celebrated its 26- year anniversary in June 2009. Since its inception in 1983, the BI- LO Charity Classic has raised more than $48 million to provide funding for non- profit organizations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee that focus on three key initiatives: children's issues, education, and hunger relief. Headquartered in Mauldin, S.C., BI- LO operates 214 supermarkets and employs approximately 15,500 people.