SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods, Inc. announced today that it will serve as a National Innovation Partner of No Kid Hungry, a national campaign of the nonprofit organization Share Our Strength. The two-year partnership will focus on developing and improving the national afterschool meals program, with an emphasis on researching new models and increasing the program’s participation.
A longtime partner of Share Our Strength, Tyson Foods’ new commitment will increase its work with the No Kid Hungry campaign’s Innovation Team, a group focused on ending child hunger in America by providing innovative solutions for vulnerable children to access healthy food.
“Our National Innovation Partnership with Share Our Strength is an incredible opportunity to make a real, lasting impact on hunger in America,” Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith said. “We have our eye toward the future, seeking new, innovative ways to tackle the issue of hunger. We know this partnership will help push the entire field forward and bring new best practices to light.”
The partnership invests in testing and reporting on promising models of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federal afterschool meals program allowing eligible low-income areas to receive funding for one meal and one snack each day. Afterschool meals are crucial for children in need who may not have access to nutritious food in the evenings, yet there is limited research on the growth, challenges and opportunities of the afterschool meals program.
“To end childhood hunger in this nation, we must be resourceful and innovative,” said Billy Shore, founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. “We are excited to partner with Tyson Foods as a new Innovation Sponsor. With its support, No Kid Hungry will be able to put more bold ideas to the test and find proven, practical solutions to childhood hunger across this country.”
Tyson Foods will fund Share Our Strength to conduct a series of six pilot tests of the afterschool meals program and report back on the data, trends and findings of the research to inform other communities pursuing the program. The National Innovation Partnership will identify and promote tactics that will expand access to the vital program.
Currently, only a fraction of the children who receive a free or reduced-price lunch at school have access to a meal or snack after school. In a nationally representative survey of low-income parents, 59 percent reported that tight household budgets made it difficult to provide food for their kids after school, and a quarter were worried that their children did not have enough to eat between lunch and breakfast the following day.[1]
Tyson Foods and Share Our Strength kicked off this partnership on May 5 at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md., a leader in afterschool meal program adoption. A group of area influencers joined Tyson Foods and Share Our Strength to visit the school’s afterschool meal distribution site and took part in a roundtable discussion to bring greater awareness to the program’s possibilities.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. It’s a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 130 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 113,000 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 Foods 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.
After donating 100 million pounds of food over 15 years, Tyson Foods renewed its commitment in the fight against hunger in 2015 by pledging $50 million in cash and in-kind donations over the next five years. This commitment focuses specifically on innovative initiatives at the local level.
Source: Tyson Foods
