NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Goodlettsville Help Center and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee received protein donations today from Tyson Foods, Inc. as part of the company's continued commitment to fight hunger in America. A Tyson Foods truck from the company's Goodlettsville facility was loaded with 35,870 pounds of protein, and, following a brief program and product donation to the Goodlettsville Help Center, continued on to Nashville where the remaining product was delivered to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
The food bank serves a 46-county area in a state where the poverty rate is more than 14 percent. More than 11 percent of Tennesseans experience food insecurity with or without hunger. "Every year approximately 500,000 people receive food from Second Harvest," said Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. "We distribute food through 460 programs in 375 partner agencies. We also operate Kids' Cafe sites where children from families in need receive at least one hot meal each week, in addition to many other programs where donated food items, particularly protein, are so critical."
The donation is part of Tyson Foods and America's Second Harvest three-year partnership, through which Tyson Foods has pledged to donate at least 10 million pounds of protein to the nationwide food bank network and charitable domestic hunger-relief organization. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a member of America's Second Harvest(r) - The Nation's Food Bank Network. America's Second Harvest "Hunger in America 2006" study found that in 2004, 38.2 million people lived in food-insecure households, including 13.9 million children. The donation of meat products is particularly significant for these organizations. 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 0.4 grams of protein for every pound of bodyweight, 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(tm) 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 the donation of 75 percent of the proceeds of those fundraising efforts to the community where the money is raised.
This year, Tyson also sponsored an America's Second Harvest publication, The Almanac of Hunger and Poverty in America 2006, which is the first-ever comprehensive collection of facts on hunger, poverty, federal nutrition programs, and the food banks and food rescue organizations in the America's Second Harvest Network.
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 39 million pounds of chicken, beef and pork - supplying more than 156 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.