LITTLE ROCK – Trucks arrived at the Arkansas Foodbank carrying 4,300 cartons of eggs and various chicken and turkey products totaling over 48,000 pounds, compliments of member businesses belonging to The Poultry Federation.
First Lady Ginger Beebe and representatives of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (AHRA) and the Arkansas Foodbank accepted the donations to help the No Kid Hungry campaign.
Companies donating food include: Butterball, LLC, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., Cargill, Inc., George’s Inc., Keith Smith Co., O.K. Industries, Inc., Peco Foods, Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Simmons Foods, Inc., Tyson Foods, Inc., and Wayne Farms, LLC.
The Poultry Federation Board of Directors, Allied members, and company representatives from the contributing companies were also on hand for the presentations.
"This is an important day for the Arkansas poultry and egg industry,” stated Marvin Childers, President of the Poultry Federation. “Earlier in the month we announced that construction plans are underway for a new building. As important as this is to us, we want to remain focused on our efforts in showing our commitment to the community by supporting the No Kid Hungry campaign and providing protein products that we are proud to produce in Arkansas. In addition, our Allied members individually donated more than 800 pounds of peanut butter—another protein source that is in much demand at area food banks and food pantries.
“One of the new initiatives of the Alliance is the No Kid Hungry Arkansas Campaign, launched by the Alliance, Governor Beebe’s office, and Share Our Strength in 2010,” stated Joyce Hardy, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance-No Kid Hungry Arkansas Director. “We are so grateful for this generous donation of food which helps the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in its mission ‘… to reduce hunger through a unified effort to provide hunger relief, education and advocacy.’”
She continued: “These groups and many state agencies, businesses, faith groups, federal organizations, and individuals have responded to the needs of many low-income families by finding ways to help them access healthy, affordable food. This very generous donation from members of The Poultry Federation helps us move closer to our goal to end childhood hunger in Arkansas by 2015. We are very grateful for this donation of food which will be distributed to the six Feeding America Food Banks in Arkansas. They will make sure that food pantries in Arkansas are able to get nutritious food to low-income families and individuals.”
Said Phyllis Haynes, CEO of the Arkansas Foodbank: “This donation of protein is so valuable to the nearly 300 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters we support. We stress nutrition-rich foods, especially for children, who need these foods to help them grow into healthy, active adults. We are so grateful to the Poultry Federation and its members for this valuable donation.”
About the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (Alliance) is a nonprofit collaborative of hunger relief organizations throughout Arkansas. It works with local, state and federal groups to keep food on the tables of Arkansans who need it most. The Alliance and its members provided more than 25 million pounds of food to hungry Arkansans in 2009. Formed in 2004 with six founding members, the Alliance includes over 100 members including the Feeding America Food Banks, local hunger relief agencies, state level hunger programs and hunger advocates from around the state that work daily to reduce hunger in Arkansas.
About the Arkansas Foodbank
The Arkansas Foodbank, the largest food bank in Arkansas, is a member of Feeding America and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Its warehouses in Little Rock and Warren, Ark., serve more than 250 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other agencies that provide aid directly to hungry Arkansans. Last year the Foodbank distributed 13.3 million pounds of food to agencies that help feed people who go hungry. For information on how you can fight hunger, visit arkansasfoodbank.org
About the Poultry Federation
The Poultry Federation is a tri-state trade association representing the poultry and egg industries in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Offices are located in Little Rock, AR; Jefferson City, MO, and Oklahoma City, OK.
TPF Board of Directors with First Lady Ginger Beebe and representatives of AR Hunger Relief Alliance No Kid Hungry Intiative and Arkansas Foodbank Network.
Source: The Poultry Federation