CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Family Dollar Stores Inc. have announced that they have made a $292,000 donation to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity.

The amount was raised by Family Dollar customers who made donations during the retailer’ “Feeding Families, Fueling Hope” campaign.

The donation translates to more than 2.9 million meals for children and families in need.

“At Family Dollar, helping those in need is extremely important to our Associates and customers,” said Family Dollar’s President and Chief Operating Officer Gary Philbin.

“In today’s uncertain economy, so many in our communities continue to struggle with hunger, and we are so grateful to our customers and store teams for rallying behind this important cause.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte hosted a check presentation for Family Dollar and Feeding America recently.

As part of the presentation, Family Dollar Associates presented 500 filled backpacks for the food bank’s weekend backpack program.

Seven Charlotte-area teachers, nominated by their peers for helping curb hunger in their classrooms, were also on hand to be recognized for their efforts.

“More than 48 million people struggle with hunger in communities across America. We know that we can’t solve hunger alone. We are thankful to Family Dollar employees and customers for partnering with us to ensure that more kids and families have access to nutrient-rich food,” said Nancy Curby, vice president of corporate partnerships at Feeding America.

Campaign facts:

– Family Dollar and its customers raised more than $290,000 for Feeding America and the nationwide network of 200 food banks.

– This translates to more than 2.9 million meals using Feeding America’s metrics of $1 donated is equal to 12 meals.

-This equates to more than 3.5 million pounds of food.

– 90 percent of funds raised will remain in local markets to support food bank programs.

– 10 percent of donations will support Feeding America national programs such as their BackPack Program and School Pantry Program.