StarKist Co., a socially responsible company that empowers people to live a healthy lifestyle by providing convenient proteins, recently partnered with Feed the Children and Cornerstones to bring hunger relief to 400 families living along Northern Virginia's Dulles Corridor. 

The drive-thru event was held at St. John Neumann Catholic Community in Reston, Va. During the event, 400 families and seniors received a 25-pound box of shelf-stable food, including StarKist products; a 15-pound box of hygiene essentials such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion and personal-care items; a box of Avon products; Disney storybooks and other items.

StarKist staff and volunteers before distributing food, hygiene essentials and children's books to 400 Dulles Corridor families. StarKist partnered with Feed the Children and Cornerstones for a special event to combat food insecurity in Northern Virginia. Credit: Chip McCrea.

 

"At StarKist, we have cultivated a longstanding partnership with Feed the Children, an organization dedicated to nationwide hunger relief efforts and with Cornerstones, an organization that continues to support underserved communities in Northern Fairfax County," said Chae-Ung Um, president and CEO of StarKist. "Hunger and food insecurity are pervasive issues that affect communities everywhere, including right here in Reston. As a responsible corporate citizen, we are committed to addressing this challenge head-on and consider it a privilege to give back to this community."

For nearly 15 years, StarKist has contributed over 821,000 pounds of tuna and chicken products to help food-insecure children and families across the U.S., and more than $880,000 to support Feed the Children's disaster and emergency response efforts. This is the latest in StarKist's continual efforts to alleviate hunger and food shortages, dating back to 1917 when there was a nationwide protein shortage during World War I.

"My kids have only been out of school a week, and this will give them more things to eat at home," said Elizabeth, of a participating family. "I feel blessed; that's truly the word that comes to mind. It's amazing what these organizations are doing, there are so many families in need out there."

According to Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children, "Children cannot thrive unless their basic needs are met. A widespread issue like childhood hunger will only be solved when enough people work together. Partners like StarKist and Cornerstones are vital to our mission as we continue to serve the families who need us most."

"Coming out of the pandemic, a lot of people were ready to put that in the rearview mirror, but what Cornerstones is seeing is actually that it's going to be a long recovery for so many families who lost income," noted Kerrie Wilson, CEO of Cornerstones. "We've had a 30% increase in people coming to our pantry just over the last 2 months. We lost SNAP benefits, which is a federal program to help supplement food, families are experiencing inflation, and so the need is great. Something like today's wonderful event puts food directly in the hands of families, and it's honestly life changing."

Left to right: Alex Iams, executive vice president, Fairfax County Economic Development; Kerrie Wilson, CEO of Cornerstones; Charlie the Tuna; Julie Laird Davis, senior vice president, strategic partnerships & individual giving, Feed the Children; Chae-Ung Um, president & CEO of StarKist. Credit: Chip McCrea.

 

Also speaking at the event were:

• Julie Laird Davis, senior VP, strategic partnerships & individual giving, Feed the Children.
• Walter Alcorn, Hunter Mill District supervisor.
• Melanie Meren, Fairfax County Public Schools Hunter Mill District representative.
• Marlon Dubuisson, district director, U.S. House of Representatives, Representative Gerry Connally.
• Alex Iams, executive vice president, Fairfax County Economic Development.
• Roberta Gosling, chair, Cornerstones Board of Directors.

Source: StarKist Co.