Salisbury, Md. (Wednesday, July 6, 2016) — The Greater Berks Food Bank (GBFB) recently was awarded a $6,000 matching grant from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms. The GBFB is matching the grant award with funds raised through other sources to purchase a high-reach forklift to be used in its 50,000-square-foot Spring Township facility. 

The grant award is part of the GBFB’s “Bringing More to the Table Capital Campaign.” The on-going $3 million campaign is underwriting a majority of the purchase and renovation costs for the GBFB’s fall 2014 move to its new facility. With the move to this significantly larger facility, replacement and additional warehouse equipment was an absolute necessity.

“We express our sincere thanks to the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation for this generous grant,” said GBFB Executive Director Peg Bianca. “When we moved to our new facility, our existing warehouse equipment fleet was over-matched by the much larger space. We needed to replace some older equipment and purchase some additional equipment in order to best run our daily operations. This award is allowing us to purchase a much-needed high-reach forklift. This piece of equipment will be a huge boost in our efforts to store, and distribute, food to our hungry neighbors.”

“The problem of hunger is very real in America. We at Perdue are happy to be able to help address this serious issue in many communities where our associates live and work,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. "The Greater Berks Food Bank is making strides to end hunger in the Reading area and we are very happy to be able to provide them with a grant to purchase equipment to assure the efficiency and effectiveness of their operation.”

 

The Greater Berks Food Bank supplies more than 7 million pounds of food a year from its distribution center to more than 280 charitable food programs — food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, after-school programs, and senior facilities — in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Annually, this food nourishes more than 112,000 of our neighborhoods in need. Learn more about the Greater Berks Food Bank at www.berksfoodbank.org.

Perdue Farms is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone we touch through innovative food and agricultural products. Since our beginning on Arthur Perdue’s farm in 1920, to our expansion into agribusiness and the introduction of the PERDUE® brand of chicken and turkey under Frank Perdue, and continuing with our third generation of leadership with Chairman Jim Perdue, we’ve remained family owned and family operated. We are the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness. Through our PERDUE® SIMPLY SMART®, PERDUE® HARVESTLAND®, COLEMAN PREMIUM® and COLEMAN ORGANIC® food brands; agricultural products and services; and stewardship and corporate responsibility programs, we are working to become the most-trusted name in food and agricultural products. Learn more about Perdue Farms at www.perduefarms.com. 

The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work.  At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.®