As part of a commitment to alleviate food insecurity in its communities, Perdue Farms is announcing the donation of 400,000 pounds of no-antibiotics-ever chicken, the equivalent of 333,000 meals, to be shared with 10 Feeding America-affiliated food banks during Hunger Action Month this September. The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm, also announced $60,000 in grants to support five local hunger relief programs in its communities.

The donations are part of the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities where Perdue associates live and work, and beyond.

“With so many people in our country struggling with food insecurity, hunger knows no boundaries. As a food company, we’re committed to fighting hunger in the communities we call home and beyond,” said Kevin McAdams, CEO of Perdue Farms. “We’re stepping up this Hunger Action Month to elevate awareness of hunger, continue our decades-long support through donations of nutritious protein, associate volunteerism and financial support, and working with stakeholders to make meaningful change.”

Joe Weeden, senior director of commodity foods for Feeding America, said, “People who struggle with hunger do not have regular access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Feeding America is grateful to Perdue for its generous support of member food banks and for helping people in need in communities across the country.”

Perdue will deliver 10 truckloads of chicken to the following food banks:

• Maryland Food Bank.
• Food Bank of Delaware.
• Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
• Harvest Hope Food Bank in South Carolina.
• Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and Feed More in Virginia.
• Food Bank of the Albemarle, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in North Carolina.

“High food prices have put a strain on everyone’s budget, which is why this donation of protein-rich chicken could not have come at a better time,” said Carmen Del Guercio, president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank. “We’re grateful for partners like Perdue Farms that recognize the challenges Maryland families currently face and are stepping in to make this donation available for our network of community partners to distribute across Maryland.”

The Perdue Foundation awarded the following grants to five local hunger relief programs through food banks and nonprofit partners:

• $30,000 to support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville and its mobile pantry and schools backpack programs.
• $10,000 to continue support for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, and its mobile pantry program at a local elementary school near Perdue’s operation in Concord.
• $10,000 investment in the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore’s backpack program.
• $10,000 to continue support for the Epoch Dream Center after-school feeding program in Hebron, Maryland.

Since 2000, Perdue Farms has donated 92 million pounds of protein to Feeding America-affiliated food banks, the equivalent of 77 million meals. Perdue was one of the first meat companies to implement a formal program of ongoing donations of perishable protein products, creating a model for other companies to follow.

Source: Perdue Farms