Tyson Foods donated over 16 million pounds of food to those in need in 2021. This is equivalent to 64 million meals valued at $36 million.
The food was distributed through food banks, pantries, and hunger relief organizations in communities across the nation.
“We remain committed to addressing food insecurity, supporting our team members, and improving the quality of life in the communities where we operate,” said Tim Grailer, senior director of corporate social responsibility for Tyson Foods. “We know our efforts are stronger through collaboration and we’re honored to work with a network of outstanding community partners.”
Nearly 10 million pounds of the food donated was distributed through a program started by the company called Community Pantry Program. Tyson says this program was created to address the issue of hunger in rural communities that have limited resources to receive, store and distribute protein products. Tyson has 42 pantries in the network serving 35 communities in 19 states.
“Northwest Arkansas is a thriving community, but many of our neighbors still struggle to put food on the table,” said Eric Vaughan, executive director of Feed the 479. “However, because of our partnership with Tyson Foods through its Community Pantry Program, we’ve been able to reach areas that are currently underserved by meeting families where they are.”
“Through our mobile program, Feed the 479 has been able to serve areas in Bentonville, Springdale, and Fayetteville, expanding the number of food accessibility points in the region,” Vaughan added. “Without the continued support of Tyson Foods and the CPP program, we would not have the ability to reach our neighbors in need with quality and healthy food to help reduce the hunger insecurity in our region.”
Tyson recently donated over one million meals in response to the recent tornado damage in Kentucky and Tennessee, to help feed families and relief workers. This is equivalent to around 260,000 pounds of protein that were distributed to a dozen impacted communities in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Tyson Foods also provided 650,000 meals and multiple truckloads of ice to Louisiana communities after Hurricane Ida. The company partnered with several disaster relief organizations including Convoy of Hope, Feed the Children, and Salvation Army to provide relief for storm victims and first responders.
In 2021, Tyson Foods also awarded $5 million to nonprofit organizations in Tyson plant communities to help support childcare, health care, hunger relief, and housing initiatives.
Other company giving efforts include disaster relief, on-site educational programs, and community grants.