SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The results are in from an online hunger-awareness poll and three food banks will be receiving a large donation from Tyson Foods.
The Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, finished in first place; the Yuma Community Food Bank in Yuma, Arizona, was second; and the Mississippi Food Network in Jackson, Mississippi, was third. Each will each receive 30,000-pounds of protein as one of the top three vote-getters in a Tyson Foods Facebook poll.
Voters were given the choice of 10 food banks located in counties with high food insecurity in the U.S. Nearly 38,000 votes were cast during the past two weeks.
The three food banks that received the most votes will each get a truckload of protein from Tyson within the next month. Combined, the donations will provide the equivalent of 360,000 meals.
Community involvement in the online voting was so robust Tyson officials also announced today that the seven other food banks in the poll will also receive a donation from the company.
"We're thrilled with the public involvement in the vote and believe it has helped generate more awareness about hunger," said Ed Nicholson, director of Community Relations for Tyson Foods. "Because of the outstanding public response, we're also going to donate a truckload of protein to each of the other seven food banks sometime during the next year."
The seven food banks include the Central Virginia Food Bank in Richmond, Virginia; Feeding the Valley Food Bank in Columbus, Georgia; Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana in Monroe, Louisiana; Lowcountry Food Bank in Charleston, South Carolina; Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, Tennessee; Montgomery Area Food Bank, Inc. in Montgomery, Alabama; and Second Harvest of South Georgia, Inc. in Valdosta, Georgia.
The social media initiative was part of Tyson's involvement in Hunger Awareness Month and the company's sponsorship of Feeding America's effort to encourage more people to become Advocacy Champions for hunger relief. People who want to join the fight are asked to register with Feeding America's Hunger Action Center at http://hungeractioncenter.org/.
Tyson employees are also getting involved in the hunger awareness effort. In addition to asking its U.S. team members to register as Advocacy Champions, Tyson is coordinating a company-wide competition during the remainder of 2011, encouraging employees to form Hunger Action Teams. The teams will coordinate at least one event in their communities to raise hunger awareness. The best overall team and location will be recognized for their efforts and activities.
Earlier this year, Tyson launched the "KNOW Hunger" campaign to raise hunger awareness. As part of the campaign, the company released the results of a survey which found that one in four Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table in the next year. Another key finding is that many Americans are unaware of how serious hunger is in their own communities.
Tyson Foods has fought hunger in the U.S. for a decade, donating more than 82 million pounds of protein, or the equivalent of more than 320 million meals. In addition to Feeding America, the company partners with the Food Research and Action Center, Share Our Strength, Lift Up America and the League of United Latin American Citizens to raise awareness and help feed the hungry across the nation.
Meat and poultry are excellent sources of heme iron, which is especially important for women, children and adolescent girls, who are often iron deficient. For more information on the nutritional value of meat and poultry, go to: http://www.meatpoultrynutrition.org/ht/d/sp/i/26062/pid/26062
For more information on Tyson's hunger relief efforts, go to: www.tysonhungerrelief.com
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and services to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately 115,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
Source: Tyson Foods, Inc.