Livingston, Calif. — This week, family-owned Foster Farms is stepping up its COVID-19 hunger relief efforts, increasing its number of donated Thanksgiving turkeys by close to 60 percent over last year to help meet the staggering need for food assistance. The 96,000 pounds of donated turkey will help feed more than 120,000 individuals struggling with food insecurity. The Thanksgiving turkey donations are an annual tradition that Foster Farms began in 2008. In the coming days, Foster Farms will deliver the turkeys to West Coast food banks from San Diego to Seattle. Earlier in the pandemic, the company donated more than three million servings of poultry to food banks in California, Oregon, Washington, Alabama and Louisiana.
Millions of people are newly at risk of experiencing food insecurity. Nationally, more than 54 million people, including 18 million children, are projected to experience food insecurity because of COVID-19. In California, nearly one in eight adults – and one in five children – do not know where their next meal is coming from. And many are now visiting food banks for the first time. Among Foster Farms’ longtime partners in the fight against hunger is Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, which will receive 12,000 pounds of turkey to support its annual holiday food drive, and has seen demand for food double.
“We are grateful to Foster Farms for their longstanding support in providing Thanksgiving turkeys to our neighbors for over a decade,” said Blake Young, president and CEO of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. “Foster Farms is there when we need them, and we are especially thankful for their added help these last few months to bring protein to so many families struggling to make ends meet in this time of crisis.”
“We hope that our turkey donations will help bring a sense of normalcy to the thousands of California, Oregon and Washington families in need this Thanksgiving,” said Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms. “We must continue to find ways to social distance and be safe, but nobody should be denied participating in this tradition because of the economic impact of COVID-19. We ask everyone that can to join us by donating to food banks in their local communities.”
Foster Farms’ donations are a continuation of a decade-long commitment to fighting hunger and responding to community needs in a time of crisis.
About Foster Farms
Since 1939, West Coast families have depended on Foster Farms for premium quality chicken and turkey products. Family-owned and operated, the company continues its legacy of excellence and commitment to quality established by its founders, Max and Verda Foster. Foster Farms specializes in fresh, all-natural chicken and turkey products free of preservatives, additives or injected sodium enhancers. Based in California’s Central Valley, with ranches in the Pacific Northwest, the company’s fresh chicken and turkey are produced in or near each region served. Foster Farms also produces delicious pre-marinated, ready-to-cook and fully cooked products that meet the quality and convenience needs of today’s home cooks, retailers, warehouse clubs and foodservice customers. The company’s commitment to excellence, honesty, quality, service and people is a source of great pride, and a longtime family tradition.
Food safety is Foster Farms’ highest priority, and the company would like to remind consumers to always follow safe handling, preparation and storage guidelines for the preparation of fresh poultry products. All fresh poultry products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by a meat thermometer to ensure safety. Visit www.fosterfarms.com to learn more.
