Names of Note: Extra helpings of Foster Farms turkey for Stanislaus, other food banks
Foster Farms is donating about 8,000 turkeys to food banks ahead of Thanksgiving, a 60% increase due to the pandemic.
The annual drive launched Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Manteca headquarters of the Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties. Seven other food banks on the West Coast will get turkeys, in a year when COVID-19 has stressed many household budgets.
“We hope that our turkey donations will help bring a sense of normalcy to the thousands of California, Oregon and Washington families in need this Thanksgiving,” said Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms, in a news release.
The company processes all of its turkey in Turlock. It has chicken plants at its Livingston headquarters and in Fresno, Porterville, Oregon, Washington, Alabama and Louisiana.
The 12,000-employee business has long supported anti-hunger efforts. When the pandemic emerged in March, it gave more than 3 million servings of poultry to food banks in the five states with Foster Farms plants.
COVID-19 means that about 54 million Americans, including 18 million children, are uncertain about their food supplies, the release said. People getting the Foster Farms turkeys will carve them into an estimated 120,000 servings.
Foster Farms is helping these food banks, and urges the public to give money:
- Second Harvest, which also serves nearby Sierra Nevada counties
Central California Food Bank, for Fresno, Madera, Kings, Kern and Tulare counties
Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank, Portland
Northwest Harvest, Seattle.
Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to jholland@modbee.com.
