by Ed Nicholson

We’ve been getting a lot of information from our partners at Feeding America  and the food banks we work with regularly about the need in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi—areas hit by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  The need is not only in areas directly affected, where a lot of relief work is going on, but also inland, where caring for evacuees put strains on the food banks and relief agencies.  This is all on top of a system already strained by the economy—rising fuel prices, layoffs, rising food prices. 
 

Hunger and disaster relief is core to what we do. It’s our primary philanthropic focus. So, we’re blessed to be able to use some of what we have—some of what our 100,000 team members produce—to meet the need that’s there. 
 

Today, we did an event in northwest Arkansas to send off some representatives of 26 truckloads of food going to the disaster-affected states. There will be at least one truckload going to each of the eighteen Feeding America food bank members in Texas, the five in Louisiana, and the three serving Mississippi.

A special shout out to the Tyson warehouse and transportation departments: the distribution planners, the drivers, the dispatchers, the warehouse managers, and the drivers who get this food on the road and to the people who need it.  They’re always there when we call them and ask them to move product quickly.  

Finally, extra special kudos to Tyson team member Sherri Austin, who moved mountains to put the orders for these trucks in in record time.

We're continually awestruck, humbled by, and grateful to the people in hunger relief organizations throughout the country who work hard every day to take care of those in need.

 

A convoy of 16 Tyson trucks headed to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi