RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 10, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) delivered a 33,218-pound gift to the Central Virginia Food Bank Wednesday. The company teamed up with Performance Food Group of Richmond to pledge a matching donation to the results of a two-day food drive effort held in June. With Tyson's donation, the amount of food raised from the event totals 67,000 pounds. The Central Virginia Food Bank dispatches more than 45,000 pounds of food per day from its more than 500 member agencies.
Fay Lohr, chief executive officer of the Central Virginia Food Bank, said there are an estimated 20,000 children in the Richmond area alone that are hunger insecure every day. Children account for 50 percent of those served by the food bank, she said.
"We can't overstate the importance of such a large contribution of protein, especially during the summer when we're feeding so many kids who aren't receiving breakfast and lunch in school," said Fay Lohr. "We know the difference that healthy food makes in a child's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Tyson's generous contribution will help us provide many in Central Virginia with the nutrients they need to grow and learn."
Lohr said an estimated 4 million pounds of the nearly 12 million pounds of food distributed annually stays in the city of Richmond where an estimated 38 percent of the children in Richmond live below the poverty level. Nationally, only six percent of children who receive free and reduced lunch use a summer feeding program, Lohr said.
Protein is one of the most efficient and long lasting sources of energy. The chicken donated today is one of the most concentrated sources of protein -- an essential nutrient of life. The average person -- man, woman or child -- needs to eat about 0.3 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, every day. This is approximately equivalent to five ounces of chicken, beef or pork.
In June, Tyson facilities nationwide kicked off a new program to raise funds and awareness for the fight against childhood hunger. The program is called Powering the Spirit and involves three key components: local fund-raising through cooking and grilling events, sales of a specially produced Tyson cookbook featuring recipes from the kitchens of Tyson team members nationwide and donation of seventy-five percent of the proceeds of those fundraising efforts to the community where the money is raised.
About Hunger Relief Nationwide
Tyson has made significant impact in their fight against hunger nationwide through a partnership with Share Our Strength(r), and America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network. Share Our Strength is a nonprofit that inspires and organizes individuals and businesses to share their strengths in innovative ways to help end childhood hunger in America. America's Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with more than 200 food banks in its network.
Since Tyson's partnership with hunger relief organizations began in 2000, the company has provided more than 35 million pounds of chicken, beef and pork -- supplying more than 150 million meals with essential protein -- to benefit more than 400 hunger-relief organizations across the U.S. Tyson has made a significant impact leading the fight against hunger through its ongoing partnerships with America's Second Harvest, Share Our Strength, Lift Up America and others. According to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey released in August 2005 which studied conditions in 2004, the poverty rate in America rose by 4 percent to 35.9 million people, one-third of which are children. Generally it is estimated that about 15 percent of a family income goes toward food, but many times parents are forced to make the choice of either paying the rent or providing the next meal for their family.
For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, contact the Central Virginia Food Bank at 1415 Rhoadmiller St. or visit http://www.cvfb.org www.tyson.com, http://www.secondharvest.org/ or www.strength.org.
The Food Bank of Central Virginia is a regional hunger relief organization that supports individuals and families in 31 counties. Founded in 1980, the food bank supports more than 500 agencies and distributed more than 11.4 million pounds of food to individuals from July 2004 to June 2005. It distributes more than 45,000 pounds of food per day. The food bank supports 40 Kids Cafe programs. For more information, visit www.cvfb.org
America's Second Harvest(r) -- The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food -- rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org
Share Our Strength(r), one of the nation's leading anti-hunger organizations, is fueled by a simple but powerful philosophy: It takes more than food to fight hunger. The organization mobilizes thousands of individuals to organize events, host dinners, teach cooking and nutrition classes to low-income families and serve as anti-hunger advocates. Share Our Strength believes it takes each of us, sharing our strength, to make a difference. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $163 million to support more than 1,000 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.strength.org
Performance Food Group, one of nation's leading foodservice distributors, markets and distributes more than 66,000 national and private label food and food-related products to approximately 44,000 restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, schools, healthcare facilities and other institutions. For more information on Performance Food Group, visit www.pfgc.com.
Tyson Foods, Inc., www.tyson.com, (NYSE:TSN), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products, which are marketed under the "Powered by Tyson(tm)" strategy. Tyson is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, providing products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 110,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.