SPRINGDALE, Ark., Sept. 25, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) is stepping up in a big way to help supply more than 3.2 million meals for Texas and Gulf Coast residents affected by recent hurricanes. Twenty-six truckloads of Tyson chicken and pork are headed south to restock food banks in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi during the next four days. As a part of the company's ongoing commitment to hunger relief with Feeding America, formerly known as America's Second Harvest, Tyson Team Members have coordinated this caravan of goodwill. The first 15 of 26 tractor trailers left Arvest Ballpark Thursday in a convoy that, in total, will deliver more than 3.2 million meals for those in need.
"Helping our neighbors when disaster happens is important to us, which is why so many of the Tyson Team Members have organized this effort to help out in Texas and the Gulf States," said Dick Bond, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. "With increasing fuel prices and the adverse effects of the economy, times were already tough for many families. Food banks are short on supplies, and this is an area where we can help. Hunger relief is a top priority for Tyson; we're blessed to be able to help."
Food banks throughout Texas and the Gulf States are struggling to meet the needs of thousands of residents who have lost their homes or are displaced due to severe weather, most recently Hurricane Ike. According to Feeding America, the need for basic food assistance has overwhelmed the resources of many food banks since the recent storms. Tyson trucks carrying the food donations will arrive in Texas over the next four days in Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, Odessa, San Antonio, Texarkana, Tyler, Victoria, Wichita Falls, as well as food banks in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana.
Tyson Foods is a leader in the fight against hunger. Today's donation brings the amount of food donated by Tyson Foods for disaster relief in 2008 to more than 1.5 million pounds -- the equivalent of more than 6 million meals. The company is actively engaged in food donation events and fundraising activities year-round to benefit community food banks and support hunger relief volunteers and local food drives across the country. Since 2000, the company has donated more than 52 million pounds of protein products to more than 950 hunger-relief agencies nationwide.
For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger go to hungerrelief.tyson.com.
Feeding America is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, Feeding America annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, Feeding America secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. To learn more, please visit www.feedingamerica.org.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (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 production 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 and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 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. Visit www.tyson.com for more details.
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