CHICAGO, Aug. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- KNOW Hunger,
launched in 2012 by Tyson Foods and the National Urban League as a
way to address and spread awareness of food insecurity, announces
today the launch of its next phase of the partnership with KNOW
Hunger Chicago, a partnership with Tyson Foods, Chicago Urban
League and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The program, made
possible by a $150,000 grant from
Tyson Foods to National Urban League, launched today at the Greater
Chicago Food Depository with a donation of 33,000 pounds of
protein.
Tyson Foods is proud to partner with two of Chicago's preeminent non-profits – the
Chicago Urban League and Greater Chicago Food
Depository – for this one-year campaign that aims to raise
awareness about hunger and nutrition through large scale protein
donations, thought leadership exercises, community engagement
events and hunger education opportunities.
The KNOW Hunger initiative is entering its fourth year of
partnership with National Urban League, having started in
Mississippi, spent two years in
Nashville, Tennessee before making
its way to Chicago. Throughout KNOW Hunger's tenure, the
program has impacted thousands of members of the community, key
influencers and elected officials that together have worked to
educate the community on the perils of hunger.
"We chose Chicago because of
the high concentration of food insecurity in the area – 1 in 6 of
our neighbors -- around 812,000 - turn to the Greater Chicago Food
Depository's network for assistance," said Deb Sinta, Vice President of Talent and Culture,
Tyson Foods. "Chicago was also
very fitting as the next KNOW Hunger city because of the large
company presence we have in the Chicagoland area. We want to give
back to the community any way we can."
This back-to-school timeframe also makes us aware of the
struggles that hungry children face – the number of children living
in food insecure households in Illinois has grown to 20.8 percent of all
children. As part of an effort to reach and support children and
families, the Chicago Urban League is holding a Back-to-School
Festival this Saturday, August
20th from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m. to make sure kids start off the school year right.
"This work goes hand in hand with our mission to provide
economic empowerment, educational opportunities and social justice
for our community," said Shari
Runner, President and CEO, Chicago Urban League. "We hear
all too often from our partners in the community that hunger is a
barrier to success and we're proud to be a part of an initiative
that is focused on tackling this issue."
The Food Depository is responding to a consistent high need
throughout the community What's more, protein is one of the most
requested item from its partner agencies.
"As we respond to a persistent need for food assistance across
Cook County, we strive to provide
nutritious options for the people we serve," said Jill Zimmerman, Vice President of Development at
the Greater Chicago Food Depository. "Protein is always needed at
our partner agencies and we are grateful to Tyson Foods for this
donation and their longtime support of the Food Depository. We
believe that no one should go hungry and we are thrilled to join
Tyson Foods and the Urban League for the KNOW Hunger Chicago
campaign."
The Chicago Urban League will spearhead local on the ground
efforts. Some of the nearly 1,000 people Tyson Foods employs in the
Chicago area will also be involved
in volunteer efforts along with assistance from local Urban League
affiliate Guild auxiliaries, Young Professional auxiliary
members and Project Ready Students.
Tyson Foods has been active in hunger relief for many
years, donating more than 100 million pounds of protein to food
banks and other relief agencies since 2000.
About Tyson Foods
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 the National Urban League
The National Urban League (www.nul.org) is a historic civil
rights and urban advocacy organization dedicated to economic
empowerment in historically underserved urban communities. Founded
in 1910 and headquartered in New York
City, the National Urban League has improved the lives of
more than two million people nationwide through direct service
programs that are implemented locally by its 95 Urban League
affiliates in 300 communities across 36 states and the District of Columbia. The organization also
conducts public policy research and advocacy activities from its
Washington, DC bureau. The
National Urban League, a BBB-accredited organization, has an
A-rating from Charity Watch and a 4-star rating from Charity
Navigator, placing it in the top 10 percent of all U.S. charities
for adhering to good governance, fiscal responsibility and other
best practices.
About the Chicago Urban League
Established in 1916, the Chicago Urban League works for
economic, educational and social progress for African Americans and
promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy,
collaboration and innovation. For more information, visit
www.thechicagourbanleague.org. Find us on Facebook or follow us on
Twitter.
About the Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food
distribution and training center providing food for hungry people
while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository,
founded in 1979, makes a daily impact across Cook County with a network of 650 pantries,
soup kitchens, shelters, mobile programs, children's programs,
older adult programs and innovative responses that address the root
causes of hunger. Last year, the Food Depository distributed 70
million pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products
and meat, the equivalent of 160,000 meals every day. For more
information, visit chicagosfoodbank.org or call 773-247-FOOD
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SOURCE Tyson Foods; National Urban League