Tyson Donates 30,000 Pounds to Arkansas Rice Depot
Little Rock, Ark. -- Nov. 22, 2011 – Tyson Foods, Inc. today donated 30,000 pounds of chicken to the Arkansas Rice Depot as part of an effort to feed people in need and promote public awareness of hunger in America. The donation was made in conjunction with the Arkansas Rice Depot’s annual Thanks-for-Giving luncheon themed, “Fighting Hunger, Harvesting Hope.”
During the fall, the Arkansas Rice Depot held an online “Tell-A-Friend” e-mail referral drive which included more than 2,000 e-cards. Tyson Foods pledged to donate 5 pounds of food for every referral. The response was tremendous and Tyson has donated even more chicken than originally pledged with a full truckload donation.
“We’re thrilled with the public involvement in the Rice Depot’s referral campaign that helped generate more awareness about hunger,” said Ed Nicholson, director of Community Relations for Tyson Foods. “We are glad that our company can provide much needed protein, especially during the holiday season, to organizations like the Arkansas Rice Depot.”
Tyson has been a long-time supporter of the Arkansas Rice Depot, which supports food pantries in all 75 counties in Arkansas. The agency combats hunger in Arkansas by annually distributing more than 8 million pounds of food. It serves 300 hunger relief programs statewide.
“It’s difficult to fully express how grateful we are for Tyson’s generous donation and the difference it will make to hungry families throughout Arkansas,” said Laura Rhea, President and CEO of the Arkansas Rice Depot. “Protein like Tyson chicken is one of our most-needed and asked-for items. This donation represents a happy Thanksgiving for all those who will enjoy it.”
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 328 million meals. The company partners with Feeding America, 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 deficient in iron. 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. To learn more about the Arkansas Rice Depot, visit: www.ricedepot.org.
About Arkansas Rice Depot
For 29 years Arkansas Rice Depot has been working to alleviate hunger in Arkansas. The only statewide food bank, Arkansas Rice Depot distributes more than 8 million pounds of food a year to hungry Arkansans. The organization has four main programs in place, each working toward its core mission, including Food For Families, Food For Kids, Food For Seniors and Disaster Relief. Most recently, Arkansas Rice Depot announced their latest initiative to serve Arkansans in need, Arkansas Diaper Depot, aimed at providing struggling mothers, families and their infants much needed diapers. The Food For Kids program was designed to provide food to children having problems in school due to hunger at home. By providing "kid friendly" foods and backpacks to the schools, these children are now able to feed themselves with full anonymity. Food For Kids is in over 620 schools, providing food for over 32,000 Arkansas school children. Arkansas Rice Depot was named the 2010 Nonprofit Organization of the Year by Arkansas Business.
About Tyson Foods
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 130 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.
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Contacts: Worth Sparkman, Tyson Foods, Inc., 479-290-6358, worth.sparkman@tyson.com
Dani Martin, Arkansas Rice Depot, 501-565-8855, dani@ricedepot.org