Perdue Farms and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina have rolled out a new 26-foot refrigerated box truck to support the organization’s distribution of food within the four counties the food bank serves through its Sandhills Branch in Southern Pines. The box truck was funded through a $100,000 grant by the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, in conjunction with the company’s 100th anniversary.
“We’re so incredibly thankful for the support of our partners at Perdue, especially during this time of staggering need amid the pandemic,” said Peter Werbick, president and CEO of the food bank. “This truck will go a long way to increase access to fresh, nutritious food for people in need in the Sandhills area.”
This truck will be operational immediately, helping to provide more than 8,000 meals with each load. It will be used in deliveries to the Food Bank’s partner agencies (the pantries and soup kitchens providing hunger relief on the front lines) and pickups from food donors, primarily retail stores and produce farmers.
The Perdue Foundation gift aligns with the company’s “Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors” hunger relief initiative focused on making meaningful progress toward ending hunger and providing access to nutritious protein for people struggling with hunger. In January, the Perdue Foundation announced a $1 million donation to support 10 of its Feeding America®-affiliated food bank partners in celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary.
“At Perdue Farms, we’re committed to doing all that we can to support the communities we call home, and value our ability to help address the issue of food insecurity,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “We’re proud that we can expand our partnership with the food bank through this gift and improve their ability to help meet the needs of our neighbors, especially during this challenging time.”
Since partnering with the food bank, Perdue Farms has donated more than 268,573 pounds - or the equivalent of more than one million servings - of nutritious protein through its partnership with the food bank.
