Perdue Farms this week delivered a $50,000 Arthur W. Perdue Foundation grant and a truckload of fresh chicken to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona, Virginia, to celebrate a 15-year partnership in the fight against hunger in the Shenandoah Valley.
The funds will help pay for renovations to the Food Bank’s Shenandoah Valley distribution center and headquarters. In addition to the check presentation, Perdue delivered 10,000 pounds of chicken products to the Food Bank for distribution through partner food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
Founded in 1981, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest organization alleviating hunger in western and central Virginia. Headquartered in Verona, Virginia, the Food Bank serves 25 counties and nine cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester and Verona.
“This (grant) is a truly significant gift. The renovations we’ve done mean we can house more fresh produce, repackage bulk foods, which saves on processing fees, and store more dry goods,” said Karen Ratzlaff, chief philanthropy officer at the Food Bank. “Because of gifts like these, the Food Bank has room for more than 200,000 pounds of additional food.”
In recognition of the Foundation grant, the food bank dedicated a new freezer in honor of the late Franklin P. Perdue, the former chairman of Perdue Farms. The freezer will be used to store poultry and other types of protein for distribution throughout the Shenandoah Valley.
“At Perdue, we believe that no one should go hungry. In fact, we have made fighting hunger across the footprint of our company a top priority,” said Frank Lambert, Perdue Director of Operations in Bridgewater, Virginia. Perdue has a commitment to provide Feeding America® — the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization — with a minimum two million pounds of protein annually. That’s the equivalent of eight million meals a year.
