Cargill donates tons of turkey to NWA Food Bank

SPRINGDALE – Cargill said it will give 22,000 pounds or nearly 10 tons of turkey to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank on Dec. 14 to help hundreds of local families this holiday season. To date in 2012, Cargill has donated more than 13,500 turkeys to food banks and other charities across the U.S. that focus on feeding those in need.

 “We are thrilled to be in a position to help ensure people throughout the region who otherwise might not have meat as part of family dinners will now be able to serve wholesome turkey for the holidays,” said Shane Acosta, Cargill complex general manager at Springdale. “Arkansas has a high level of need to combat food insecurity and hunger, and our employees want to help feed people any way possible throughout the year, especially during the holiday season. We are passionate about supporting people and communities where Cargill has operations, which has been a company philosophy dating back to its founding in 1865.”

Cargill is one of numerous companies in the region that support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Some of the company’s 1,600 employees that work for the turkey business in Northwest Arkansas will be volunteering their time on December 14 to organize food at the Bethel Heights, Ark., food bank in preparation for distribution during the holidays.

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has been serving people in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties for nearly a quarter-century, and currently distributes more than 5 million pounds of food annually to more than 160 partner agencies and tens of thousands of people throughout the region.