Perdue Farms Supports Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s

Perdue Farms, through its Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded a $20,000 grant to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to help fund its Good Food School Markets. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities.

The Good Food School Markets at Harrisonburg High School in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Broadway High School in Broadway, Virginia, are part of a privately funded child nutrition program that brings fresh produce and shelf-stable foods into high schools for distribution to students and families in need and seeks to reduce the stigma of visiting a food pantry.

Michael McKee, CEO of Blue Ridge Area Food Bank said:

“Good nutrition is so important to ensure healthy development of young bodies and minds. One out of every 11 children in the Blue Ridge area lives without a reliable source of healthy food."

"These are students who should be busy learning and having fun without worrying about the daily challenges of hunger. Thanks to Perdue, we can ensure that local students and their families have access to nourishing food.”

Demand for the Good Food School Markets has grown significantly because of increased need and higher food costs. These school pantries offer nutritious food for students living with hunger, improving their health and ability to succeed in school.

“Perdue Farms and the Perdue Foundation have been steadfast supporters and partners of the Food Bank for many years,” said McKee. “We benefit from their gifts of nourishing proteins, volunteer hours and financial gifts to support food distributions.”

As Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, explained:

“It’s extremely important for children to receive proper nutrition and we know school pantries provide much-needed support to families and their children. At Perdue, we’re honored to provide this grant to the food bank to ensure healthy foods are easily and readily available.”