KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nov. 1, 2016 – Lift Up America and the Kansas City Chiefs teamed up with Tyson Foods, Inc. to tackle one of Kansas City’s most pressing issues – hunger.
Kansas City Chiefs linebackers were on hand Tuesday to help unload and distribute the 30,000 pounds of protein donated by Tyson Foods. Harvesters–The Community Food Network distributed the food to more than 60 agencies throughout the Kansas City area. Tuesday’s distribution event, which kicked off at noon at Arrowhead Stadium, featured a news conference with speakers including Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.
For the past 13 years, Lift Up America has partnered with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyson Foods to distribute food to Kansas City area agencies.
“I’m so happy that the Lift Up America food distribution has become a Kansas City Chiefs tradition for the past decade. It’s something that I, as well as our players, have thoroughly enjoyed participating in each and every year. Knowing that this food will find its way into the hands of those in need makes the day a blessing to be a part of,” Hunt said.
Lift Up America partners with corporations, colleges, professional sports teams and nonprofit organizations to help communities in times of need. The Kansas City Chiefs were the first professional sports team to provide assistance.
“We have been so blessed to work with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyson Foods year after year to support Harvesters–The Community Food Network. Through these efforts in fighting hunger, we hope that we can serve as an example for our youth and encourage the next generation to be Ambassadors of Compassion,” said Eric Hannah, president of Lift Up America.
The need for food assistance is greater today than ever before. Across Harvesters’ 26-county service area, nearly 375,000 people are food insecure. As the regional Feeding America food bank, Harvesters provides food and household products to more than 620 not-for-profit agencies, serving 141,500 people every month.
“This donation of protein is very important to Harvesters and to the clients we serve,” said Valerie Nicholson-Watson, Harvesters’ president and CEO. “Protein can be an expensive food item to purchase and is often difficult for families to access, but it is a key food group for a healthy diet. Harvesters is committed to providing the healthiest food possible, and this donation allows us to help meet the need of feeding one in seven people in our community.”
Last year, Harvesters distributed more than 43 million pounds of food and household products which provided more than 37 million meals. Due to the slow economic recovery and continued high unemployment, the number of people seeking help from Harvesters’ network remains great.
For the past 13 years, Tyson Foods has assisted Lift Up America in providing food in more than 20 cities to reduce domestic hunger in the United States. Since 2000, Tyson Foods has donated more than 100 million pounds of protein in the United States.
“We want to make a difference in the lives of people struggling with food insecurity,” said Matt Pakula, Tyson Foods’ senior manager of corporate social responsibility. “To show our commitment to hunger relief, Tyson Foods has pledged $50 million in cash or in-kind donations over the next five years in the fight against hunger.”
About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. It’s a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 130 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 113,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith- friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
About Lift Up America
Lift Up America, founded in 2004, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that collaborates with corporations, professional and college sports teams and local nonprofit agencies to help our nation’s less fortunate. For more information about Lift Up America, please visit www.LiftUpAmerica.org. In 2014, Lift Up America is focused on expanding its Ambassador of Compassion program across the U.S., including an active chapter in Cleveland. An interactive leadership program for youth, Ambassadors of Compassion helps transform junior-high and high-school aged youth into resilient, confident individuals motivated to embrace a strong work ethic and continue giving service in their communities. For more information and how to donate, please visit www.aoclife.org.
About the Kansas City Chiefs
This is another example of the Kansas City Chiefs commitment to playing an active role in our community. The Hunt family has made corporate citizenship and charitable giving a priority for the Chiefs. Those efforts focus on organizations and programs which improve the cultural climate in our region, support families and children in crisis, improve health and wellness among children as well as preserve the legacy and history of the game of football. One way the organization supports these efforts is through Chiefs Community Caring Team visits such as this Last year alone, the Chiefs Community Caring Team’s hunger relief programming was responsible for providing nearly 105,000 meals throughout Chiefs Kingdom.
About Harvesters – The Community Food Network
Harvesters is a regional food bank and was Feeding America’s 2011 Food Bank of the Year. Serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 620 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, shelters and others. Agencies in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to as many as 141,500 different people each month. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit www.harvesters.org.
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Media Contacts
Derek Burleson
Public Relations Manager, Corporate Affairs
Tyson Foods, Inc.
479-290-6466 | derek.burleson@tyson.com