Salisbury, Maryland — Perdue Farms, through its Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded a $20,000 grant to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to help fund its Good Food School Markets. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities.
The Good Food School Markets at Harrisonburg High School in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Broadway High School in Broadway, Virginia, are part of a privately funded child nutrition program that brings fresh produce and shelf-stable foods into high schools for distribution to students and families in need and seeks to reduce the stigma of visiting a food pantry.
“Good nutrition is so important to ensure healthy development of young bodies and minds. One out of every 11 children in the Blue Ridge area lives without a reliable source of healthy food,” said Michael McKee, CEO of Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “These are students who should be busy learning and having fun without worrying about the daily challenges of hunger. Thanks to Perdue, we can ensure that local students and their families have access to nourishing food.”
Demand for the Good Food School Markets has grown significantly because of increased need and higher food costs. These school pantries offer nutritious food for students living with hunger, improving their health and ability to succeed in school.
“Perdue Farms and the Perdue Foundation have been steadfast supporters and partners of the Food Bank for many years,” said McKee. “We benefit from their gifts of nourishing proteins, volunteer hours and financial gifts to support food distributions.”
As Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, explained, “It’s extremely important for children to receive proper nutrition and we know school pantries provide much-needed support to families and their children. At Perdue, we’re honored to provide this grant to the food bank to ensure healthy foods are easily and readily available.”
About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture®.
About Perdue Farms
We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, and Coleman Natural®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, and is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.
Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.
Now in our company’s second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at corporate.perduefarms.com.
About the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Verona, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest organization alleviating hunger in western and central Virginia. The Food Bank receives an average of 127,500 guest visits per month, serving 25 counties and eight cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester, and Verona. We’re serving record numbers of Virginians through our network of more than 400 community partners, which includes food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, libraries, healthcare clinics, community centers, and more. We pledge to continue innovating and adapting to secure, store, and distribute more food to more individuals, families, children, and seniors experiencing hunger. The Food Bank is a partner food bank of Feeding America®, a national association with a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries, and meal programs. Last year, this charitable food assistance network helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people facing food insecurity. For more information, visit www.brafb.org.
