Milton, Del. — Perdue Farms is awarding Milton Community Food Pantry a $50,000 grant through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation as part of a company commitment to ease the burden of food insecurity in its communities. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.
The pantry is building a 30-foot-by-50-food distribution center with a walk-in freezer and cooler combination that will consolidate sorting, storing, and packing food for clients, according to Lawrence W. Bivens Sr., food pantry vice president.
Those tasks now are completed at different times in different locations, Bivens said, adding that the new building “will enhance our ability to purchase and store more fresh, frozen, canned and dry products for our clients to increase their meal choices.”
The pantry distributes fresh and nonperishable food the first and third Mondays of each month to clients in Milton and about 20 other towns in Sussex and Kent counties, entirely with volunteers, Bivens said.
The pantry has experienced higher demand in the first quarter of 2023, serving 553 families representing 2,109 people, he said, compared with 353 families with 1,376 people for the same time last year, an increase of more than 50 percent.
Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, praised the work of Milton Community Food Pantry.
“We’re happy to help Milton Community Food Pantry continue its good work. It is caring for families in Kent and Sussex counties, especially now in these difficult economic times,” she said. “The pantry has earned our support.”
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®, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores 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.
