GARNER, N.C. — In the spirit of giving, Butterball, LLC has donated more than 330,000 pounds of turkey to charitable organizations this year.
Leading into the Thanksgiving holiday, in the past week alone, the company has contributed 75,000 pounds of holiday turkeys (whole turkeys) to soup kitchens and military to reach families that might need a little assistance with their holiday meal.
"This year we proactively doubled our contributions of whole turkeys from last year," said Keith Shoemaker, CEO, Butterball, LLC. "Hunger in our country affects about 15 percent of U.S. households, according to recent reports(1). I would encourage other food producers to do what they can to help in the national plight."
In an effort to spread some holiday cheer, the company initially focused the donation of 75,000 pounds of holiday turkeys locally, near its plants and corporate locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri and North Carolina, but has also donated to other communities like Los Angeles, Calif. Some of the recipient groups included: the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, which collects and distributes food to its six food banks across the state; Airmen and families of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina; Fort Carson Soldier and Family Assistance Center, Outreach United Resource Center, Inc. and Meals on Wheels in Colorado; and The Salvation Army's soup kitchen in Carthage, Mo. Additionally, as a Feeding America (Second Harvest) participant, Butterball donations to Feeding America from Jan. 1, 2010 through Nov. 11, 2010 totaled nearly 85,000 pounds.
"We are honored to help make the holidays a bit brighter and more celebratory by providing folks with turkeys to enjoy as the centerpiece of their meal," said Shoemaker. "The reality though is that this is only a drop in the bucket. You always wish you could do more, and I know that there are others in the meat and poultry industry that are making donations and working to provide hunger relief. We are thankful for the opportunity to join with individuals and organizations in our communities to support the valiant nonprofit organizations that help meet the needs of the community every day."
Additionally, with the help of celebrity chef and legendary Barbecue Pitmaster Ed Mitchell, Butterball executives delivered holiday turkeys to eight charitable organizations in Raleigh, Durham and Garner, N.C.
About Butterball, LLC:
Butterball, LLC is the largest producer of turkey products in the United States. Headquartered in Garner, N.C., Butterball produces more than one billion pounds of turkey each year, and the company supplies its products to more than 15 countries. The industry leader has seven plants located throughout the United States.
For more information about Butterball, visit www.butterballcorp.com. You can also call 1-800 BUTTERBALL for answers to your most puzzling questions about turkey preparation.
(1) Nord, M., Coleman-Jensen, A., Andrews, M., & Carlson, S. Household Food Security in the United States, 2009. USDA Economic Research Report No. (ERR-108), 68 pp, November 2010.
Source: Butterball, LLC
