Tyson Foods donates 700,000 meals for hunger relief in Arkansas

Tyson Foods announced a donation of nearly 170,000 pounds of protein, or roughly 700,000 meals, for Feeding America and partner agencies across Arkansas in recognition of Hunger Action Month. The Springdale-based meat giant said it has donated a total of 3.8 million pounds of food products in Arkansas this year.

“We are committed to addressing food insecurity in the communities we operate and proud to support our local hunger relief agencies,” said Debra Vernon, senior director, corporate social responsibility at Tyson Foods. “Protein is often the most difficult item for food banks to acquire and today’s donation will go a long way in ensuring our friends and neighbors throughout Arkansas won’t have to worry where their next meal will come from.”

Food banks across the state will receive the following:

• River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith – 45,156 pounds
• Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in Bethel Heights – 38,660 pounds
• Food Bank of North Central Arkansas in Norfork – 35,180 pounds
• Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock – 30,802 pounds
• Harvest Regional Food Bank in Texarkana – 19,800 pounds

In Arkansas, more than half a million people struggle with hunger and one in four are children, according to Feeding America.

“Tyson Foods has played a critical role in our efforts to address hunger throughout the River Valley,” said Tracy Engel, director of the River Valley Regional Food Bank. “The company’s grants have allowed us to expand our freezer capacity and the protein donations provide our clients with important nutrition they may not have otherwise.”