Perdue Delivers 140,000 Pounds Of Protein To Continue Support For Food Banks Amid COVID-19 Crisis

SALISBURY, Md., May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Perdue Farms announced today it has delivered another 140,000 pounds of protein — or 560,000 servings — to six food banks as part of its commitment to donate a minimum of one million pounds of protein to support communities where it conducts business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is nearly halfway toward meeting its million pounds commitment, which is part of Perdue's "Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors" hunger relief initiative.

Perdue has directed more than 450,000 pounds of nutritious protein to Feeding America-affiliated food banks serving its communities, including in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Perdue is also directing product donations to help frontline healthcare workers and first responders.

The most recent donations are supporting the following food banks:

• Georgia Mountain Food Bank
• Northern Illinois Food Bank
• Harvest Hope Food Bank (South Carolina)
• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
• Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
• Maryland Food Bank

"The donation from Perdue will allow the food bank to provide the equivalent of 35,000 meals to our friends and neighbors," said Peter Werbicki, president/CEO, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. "We are so thankful to Perdue for helping us make an impact in a time of unprecedented need in our community."

Food banks across the U.S., including the Maryland Food Bank, are under widespread and growing pressure as they cope with an ever-increasing demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our food distribution efforts have increased 100 percent compared to this time last year, and our network of community organizations report a surge in demand since the onset of COVID-19," Maryland Food Bank President and CEO Carmen Del Guercio said. "We are extremely thankful for Perdue's donation of nutritious chicken during this critical time, as it will go a long way to meet the needs of those who need it most across Maryland."

Perdue is continuing to provide its frontline plant production associates, who are essential to America's food supply, with chicken products to take home to ease the burden.

"With the continuing impact of the coronavirus being felt across the U.S. and within our communities, people are relying more heavily on food banks to make ends meet," said Randy Day, CEO of Perdue Farms. "We remain committed to helping meet the tremendous needs within our communities, including those who struggle to put food on their tables for their families during this crisis."

To further bolster its community outreach and commitment to transparency, Perdue has hosted more than 15 virtual Town Hall-style webinars at locations where it has production operations. The goal is to further facilitate an ongoing dialogue regarding COVID-19 with various local community leaders including pastors, healthcare professionals, elected officials, civic organizations, and more.

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 PERDUE^® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and the company is the leader in organic chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. Now in our centennial year, 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 and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. Learn more at corporate.perduefarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms