To help support California food bank’s efforts to meet demand for protein during a difficult fire season, Cargill donated nearly 50,000 pounds of beef to local families in California.
Cargill worked with its partner MEANS Database, a nonprofit that helps direct food in 49 states to local emergency feeding services, to connect with Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa, Calif. and Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Food Bank in Riverside, Calif. to coordinate the donation.
The donated product was recently received by the foodbanks and was distributed throughout the communities served by the foodbanks and where Cargill is proud to have a local presence.
“Food security is a priority – and a challenge for many families across California, especially after a difficult fire season” said Lindsay Fred, Cargill’s protein sales director for the Western region. “We’re proud to be doing our part to make an impact in the communities where we work and live through donations of nutritious food.”
Sara Olsher, marketing communications manager at Redwood Empire Foodbank notes that many people affected by the fires lost the entire contents of their refrigerators and freezers.
“Over the course of eight days, we activated 25 emergency distributions in 19 locations, in 10 towns, feeding more than 25,000 people on top of our normal work load,” said Olsher “Protein is one of the most expensive items on a plate, and as a result many families who deal with food insecurity go without. This was a much-needed item for local families.”
According to Feeding America, more than 4 million Californians are struggling with hunger – and more than 1.5 million of them are children.
“To say the donated beef was a blessing, would be an understatement, said Stephanie Otero, president and CEO of Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino. “This donation not only came at an opportune time but is very appreciated by our community as meat is often high in demand, but infrequent in donations.”
In addition, Cargill supports Feeding America’s Meal Connect platform that directs hundreds of in-kind protein donations to Feeding America food banks around the U.S.
Focused on adding value for customers and consumers in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, the Cargill Protein – North America business is among the top three producers of beef and poultry products in North America. The business maintains 60 facilities, distribution centers, feed mills and hatcheries in the U.S. and Canada, and employs more than 28,000 people. The business has production and distribution centers in Fresno and across California.
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By: Drovers