Elanco announced results of its #Feedthe9 community outreach to help fight hunger. In support of its vision for a food-secure world, Elanco’s poultry business unit donated a total of $18,000 to three customers’ community partners, and worked with 400 employees at GNP CompanyTM and Tyson Foods locations in three states to provide more than 10 tons of food and package over 14,000 meals. Elanco also recognized Tyson Foods team members in Monroe, North Carolina, for generating the most social media posts using the hashtag #Feedthe9TysonNC to raise awareness about their partner, Operation Reach Out.
“We appreciated the chance to partner with employees at Tyson Foods and GNP Company to develop events involving local food-related charities,” said Chris Ready, U.S./Canada food animal director of marketing for Elanco. “Beyond helping our valued customers cultivate community relationships, #Feedthe9 events are encouraging more people to become personally involved in the journey of creating food security for the world’s 9 billion people by 2050.”
Each of the three #Feedthe9 events held in late 2014 featured activities uniquely designed to meet needs of local food charities. In Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, GNP Company employee-volunteers packaged 14,040 meals to benefit local clients of Kids Fighting Hunger. Tyson Foods team members at its Corydon, Indiana, plant donated 390 bags of food items and helped unload 7.5 tons of chicken contributed by the company at three Dare to Care food banks. In Monroe, North Carolina, Operation Reach Out received a truckload of food items donated by Tyson Foods team members and chicken products contributed by the company.
Other community volunteers also participated in the events, which encouraged attendees to go beyond focusing on only the problem of hunger.
“The key is to shift the conversation toward a focus on viable solutions that ultimately provide food security,” said Kerryann Kocher, director of the poultry business unit for Elanco. “Creating a world where 9 billion people have access to enough nutritious food that’s affordable requires a commitment to three solutions: 1) supporting innovation, 2) protecting choice and 3) empowering trade. That’s why Elanco is inviting poultry customers who share our vision for food security to join us in creating joint activities that engage communities in conversation and action.”
Elanco customers interested in developing a volunteer #Feedthe9 event should contact their Elanco representative to discuss the possibilities. Everyone can join the conversation about developing solutions to feed the world by using the hashtag #Feedthe9.