Tyson Foods Inc. has granted $54,250 to the Food Bank of Iowa in order to support hunger relief in the Perry area, the company announced Thursday. The Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Perry will also begin coordinating the mobile food pantry events every other month at the Dallas County Hospital.
“We’re very grateful for Tyson’s continued support and help in providing food to our local Perry community,” said Michelle Book, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa. “This donation will help our organization work toward our vision of a hunger-free Iowa.”
The grant to the Food Bank of Iowa is a part of a $1.5 million Tyson program to provide 26 grants to hunger relief organizations that support 38 communities with Tyson plants in 15 states. This is the first year Tyson Foods provided grants to mobile pantries in Perry.
Gus Henrici, assistant chaplain at the Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry, coordinates the mobile food pantries at the hospital and also sits on the Perry Food Pantry Board of Directors.
The Tyson grants represent about four million pounds of food or the equivalent of 16 million servings of protein that will be distributed to the food insecure. The Food Bank of Iowa provides food for Iowa children, families and seniors to help them lead full and active lives and strengthen their communities.
“Feeding America projects that 42 million people — one in eight — including some 13 million children, might experience food insecurity in 2021,” said Garrett Dolan, Tyson Foods senior manager for corporate social responsibility. “At Tyson, we’re honored to do our part to reduce food insecurity in the communities around the country where our team members live and work.”
The grants were awarded in response to requests for proposals by food banks and hunger relief organizations seeking to improve the efficiency of their operations or provide support for urgent feeding programs.
Other organizations supported by Tyson Foods with the grants include:
- Arkansas: Delta Regional Community Service Outreach Network, Samaritan House Community Center, River Valley Food Kids, Arkansas Food Bank, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and Harvest Texarkana
- California: Alameda County Community Food Bank
- Florida: Regional Food Bank of Northeast Florida
- Georgia: YMCA Rome
- Illinois: Northern Illinois Food Bank
- Indiana: Second Harvest Food Bank East Central Indiana and Food Finders Food Bank
- Iowa: Food Bank of Iowa and Northeast Iowa Food Bank
- Kansas: Kansas Food Bank
- Kentucky: Freestore Food Bank
- Mississippi: Mississippi Food Network
- Missouri: Second Harvest Community Food Bank, Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri and Southeast Missouri Food Bank
- Nebraska: Foodbank for the Heartland
- North Carolina: Second Harvest Food Bank Northwest North Carolina and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
- Tennessee: Second Harvest Food Bank Middle Tennessee and Mid-South Food Bank
- Virginia: Food Bank Southeastern Virginia
