Perdue Farms Helps “Fill the Food Gap” with Critical Protein Donation

Anyone who’s been to the grocery store lately knows that fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat are some of the most expensive items on the list. The high costs make it difficult for families to afford healthy, locally sourced food – so it’s no wonder that these products are in high demand at local pantries and no-cost markets. 

That’s where our partners in the food and agriculture industries come in, with donations that sustain our shared fight to end hunger. Just one recent example: our friends at Perdue Farms came through with an incredible Hunger Action Month donation of a full semi-trailer full of enough chicken to fuel over 34,000 meals for local families! The donation is part of Perdue’s "Fill the Food Gap" initiative, which has shared more than 800,000 pounds of protein so far to food banks along the east coast. 

Right now, one out of every seven people we see at the grocery store or school pick-up doesn’t know where their next meal might come from, so Perdue’s support couldn’t come at a more critical time. The price of groceries is still out of reach for far too many families — and thousands of people will soon lose federal support that has kept food on the table. We’re grateful for longtime partners like Purdue Farms who are stepping up to fill the food gap. 

– Carter Crain, Vice President of Food Procurement at the Food Bank.

Support from food industry partners like Perdue Farms is instrumental to bridge a food gap that leaves millions of families nationwide struggling to access essential nutrition on a consistent basis. More than 607,000 people face hunger across central and eastern North Carolina — the highest point since the Great Recession. Hunger relief organizations are seeing more people seeking food assistance than the peak of the pandemic, and the numbers are expected to grow significantly as federal cuts to food and healthcare support go into effect. Perdue’s donation is critical in ensuring families have access to high-quality protein necessary for healthy development and well-being. 

Perdue Farms’ donation will reach local families through the Food Bank’s network of 700+ local pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs across its 34-county service area. The support expands on Perdue’s longtime partnership with the Food Bank, including ongoing protein donations, associate groups volunteering at our distribution centers, and support in awareness-building and advocacy to meet the rising hunger crisis head-on. 

The urgency to address food insecurity has only grown this year. With so many families relying on food banks that are stretched thinner than ever, we knew we had to act. Fill the Food Gap is about mobilizing Perdue’s resources and people to provide immediate relief in the communities where we operate and shine a light on a challenge too big to ignore.

– Todd Tillemans, Perdue Farms Chief Commercial Officer

Perdue Farms has a long-standing commitment to fighting hunger and supporting communities. This Hunger Action Month program builds on Perdue Farms’ decades-long commitment to fighting hunger through their Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors outreach, focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities. Since 2000, Perdue has delivered the equivalent of 89 million meals in its efforts to help alleviate food insecurity throughout the region. We are proud to partner with Perdue Farms in the fight to end hunger.