MEAT+POULTRY - November 2024 - 82

GIVING BACK
Pilgrim's
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. invested $1 million in
community recovery needs in Douglas, Ga.,
following the devastation from Hurricane
Helene. Pilgrim's is determining how the
funds will be spent as needs are being
identified, including potential partnerships
with other organizations and local relief
teams. The company is also working with
local officials and its customers to provide
supplies needed after the storm.
" The community has always supported
Pilgrim's, and we want to ensure we're
doing all we can to support our team
members and our neighbors during
this challenging time, " said Mark Dean,
Douglas complex manager at Pilgrim's. " We
are focused on contributing to rebuilding
efforts so that we can get our town back to
what it was as quickly as possible. "
Pilgrim's employs over 1,000 team
members in Douglas. To directly support
its workforce, the company committed
to paying all Douglas team members for
lost days of work associated with a power
outage at the production facility. The
company is also focused on supporting
grower partners who have been affected.
" We are saddened by the widespread
storm impacts in this region, " said Fabio
Sandri, chief executive officer of Pilgrim's.
" Though there is a lot of work to be done,
our hope is that this investment will aid in
critical relief efforts to support the people
of Douglas. "
Maple Leaf
Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
entered a partnership
with Chicken Farmers of
Ontario (CFO) to provide
Ontario's food banks
with a steady supply of
healthy, locally grown
chicken. The partnership
includes Feed Ontario.
The initiative
Wayne-Sanderson
Wayne-Sanderson Farms' Tyler, Texas,
plant continued its long-time support of
Smith County United Way Community
Pillar, raising more than $118,000 this year
through direct contributions and company
matching funds.
For six years, Wayne-Sanderson
has participated in local United Way
fundraising efforts, leading to historical
contributions of over $1 million.
" The annual United Way campaign
really supports our community, " said Maria
Reyes, who champions the company's
fundraising efforts as part of her duties as
Tyler complex human resources assistant
82 MEAT+POULTRY | 11.24 | www.meatpoultry.com
manager. " So when the Tyler facility opened,
we immediately got involved, and it's only
grown from there. We start planning months
out, working directly with our partners at
United Way. They come and talk with our
team members to kick off the campaign
with giveaways, T-shirts and prize drawings,
so people get excited and make sure new
people know how to participate. "
United Way helps fund 27 different
local community organizations, such as
Red Cross, Literacy Council and Meals on
Wheels, among others. The organization
estimates it provides help at some point to
one out of four Smith County residents.
supports CFO Cares:
Farmers to Food Banks
Program, which enables
chicken farmers to
donate chicken to
food banks across the
province of Ontario.
CFO Cares first
launched in 2015 with
the collaboration of
Feed Ontario, one of
the province's largest
collectives of hungerrelief
organizations.
Through the program,
family-run farms are
eligible to donate up to
300 birds per year. The
farmers are eligible for
a tax credit for their
donation. Since its
inception, CFO Cares
has had at least 1 million
meals donated annually.
" In addition to our
work to address the root
causes of food insecurity,
it is important to meet
the immediate needs of
people for nutritious,
high-quality foods, " said
Sarah Stern, director of
community involvement
at Maple Leaf Foods and
executive director of
the Maple Leaf Centre
for Food Security. " With
the support of our
London poultry facility,
we are proud to be part
of this cross-sector
partnership. "
Wayne-Sanderson, United Way
http://www.meatpoultry.com
MEAT+POULTRY - November 2024

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