Foster Farms Kicks Off 'Pass The Plate' West Coast Food Donation Program, Commits To Help Feed More Than 75,000

LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate its 75^th anniversary, Foster Farms today launched its "Pass the Plate" West Coast meal donation program during a food bank event in Los Angeles. Local families received the first of Foster Farms' summer meal donations and learned first-hand of the company's commitment to help feed more than 75,000 people this summer. The company is rolling out the program to bring greater awareness to the country's food insecurity and in hopes of encouraging others to join in helping address this need.

According to a recent modern dinner survey of 2,000 West Coast consumers commissioned by Foster Farms, more than one-third of families are unaware that 49 million Americans – nearly 15 percent of American households – do not have enough to eat, what food assistance organizations term "food insecure."

Starting today, Foster Farms will be distributing weekly complete chicken dinners to needy families in seven West Coast cities through partnerships with local food banks. Foster Farms has also committed to help feed an additional 75,000 people based on consumer participation in its online share program. For every "Pass the Plate" social media share at Take75.com, Foster Farms will help to donate chicken for one meal to local food banks.

"As a family-owned business, family is at the heart of Foster Farms. We believe that all families deserve to connect with each other over a family meal," said Ira Brill, director of communications for Foster Farms. "If we can play a small part in putting dinner on the table for these West Coast families so they can focus on what really matters – time together – then our 'Pass the Plate' program will be a success."

"Pass the Plate" is part of the company's new Take 75 program, a movement focused on encouraging people to take at least 75 minutes each week to get back to basics and enjoy meals with family and friends.

Foster Farms is partnering with the following food assistance agencies to distribute meals to local families in need throughout the summer:

• Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Northwest Harvest (Seattle, Washington)
• Oregon Food Bank (Portland, Oregon)
• Sacramento Food Bank
• San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
• Second Harvest Food Bank (Manteca, California)

"It is clear that Foster Farms is truly committed to giving back to local communities. We are grateful for Foster Farms' generous donation of chicken dinners with all of the fixings that will help sustain the families we serve here in Los Angeles with protein-rich meals throughout the summer," said Michael Flood, president and CEO of Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.   

"Pass the Plate" is a continuation of the company's legacy of community leadership and support for those less fortunate in the communities it serves. Foster Farms has long provided community support through a variety of programs including scholarship programs, grants, volunteer programs and support of families in need of food assistance.  In 2009, Foster Farms partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank in Manteca, California to bring Food 4 Thought to economically hard-hit Stanislaus and Merced counties in California's Central Valley. Food 4 Thought is an incentive-based program that addresses two fundamental needs, hunger and education, by providing groceries twice monthly to elementary school students in exchange for their participation in eight hours of after-school programs. The program has grown and today serves more than 750 Central Valley school children. Foster Farms also makes Thanksgiving dinner possible for thousands of West Coast families each year through annual donations of Thanksgiving turkeys to West Coast food banks.

For more information visit Take75.com.  

About Foster Farms
Since 1939, West Coast families have depended on Foster Farms for premium quality chicken 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 products free of preservatives, additives or injected sodium enhancers. Based in California's Central Valley, with ranches also in the Pacific Northwest, the company's fresh chicken is produced in or near each region served and delivered fresh within 48 hours. 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.

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 F (boneless and ground) and 180 degrees F (bone-in) as measured by a meat thermometer. Visit www.fosterfarms.com to learn more.

SOURCE Foster Farms