SAN FRANCISCO – The fight against hunger in San Francisco and Marin received strong support today as Tyson Foods, Inc. provided a truckload of over 34,000 pounds of high-protein items to the San Francisco Food Bank. This donation is a result of the Food Bank’s annual Hunger Challenge in which people live on a food stamp budget for a week – $4 a day per person for their entire food and drink budget. The donation was a fulfillment of a pledge to provide 100 pounds of chicken for each comment to a blog post, “Who Are the Hungry People,” written by Gayle Keck of the Food Bank. The article, posted on the Tyson Foods Hunger Relief website, described the problem of hunger in San Francisco, and encouraged people to support the Hunger Challenge.
The donation was made in honor of the company's month-long celebration of its 10th anniversary of active support for hunger relief nationwide. September is also National Hunger Action Month. All together, Tyson will donate more than one million pounds of food during September to food banks in states across the country. The company has donated more than 76 million pounds of food over the last 10 years.
“There are millions of hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are faced with the realities of hunger,” said Donnie Smith, Tyson president and CEO. “Many people don’t realize the scope of hunger in their own community. We hope that by making this donation, we’re not only helping feed those in need, but also bringing awareness to the issue of hunger in San Francisco.”
Nationally, one in six Americans are at risk of hunger and in San Francisco one in four children and one in five adults are at risk. There are approximately 5.6 million Californians living in poverty. This year, the San Francisco Food Bank will distribute 41.5 million pounds of food to the community – enough for 88,000 meals every day. The San Francisco Food Bank works with more than 400 local nonprofit agencies to serve over 200,000 people each year throughout San Francisco and Marin.
“We are very grateful for Tyson’s continued support in the fight against hunger,” said Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank. “This donation of poultry and other high-protein foods are especially valuable as protein is one of the most-needed items for food bank clients and one of the most difficult to obtain.”
Since 2000, Tyson Foods has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The company is actively engaged in food-donation events and fund-raising activities year-round to benefit those in need. The protein given by Tyson today brings the company’s total in-kind donations since 2000 to more than 76 million pounds. This milestone equates to more than 296 million meals donated to food banks and agencies serving local communities around the country. Last year alone, Tyson donated nearly eight million pounds of protein to Feeding America. For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, go to http://www.tysonhungerrelief.com
About the San Francisco Food Bank
Hunger is a serious problem in San Francisco – with 1 in 4 children and 1 in 5 adults at risk of hunger. Every day, the San Francisco Food Bank sources, collects, sorts, inspects and repackages thousands of pounds of food, then distributes it to soup kitchens, neighborhood grocery centers, school programs and seniors in need.
The San Francisco Food Bank partners with over 400 nonprofit agencies to serve more than 24,000 households weekly throughout San Francisco and Marin counties. This year, the Food Bank will distribute 41.5 million pounds of food to the community this year – enough for 88,000 meals every day. Over half of what is distributed is fresh produce. For more information, visit www.SFFoodBank.org.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN – News), 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 proteinbased 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 117,000 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 environ ent entrusted to it.
Source: San Francisco Food Bank & Tyson Foods
