Salisbury, MD. (Tuesday, August 20, 2013) – Grants from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore are breaking down the language barrier for Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the Hispanic families whose children receive therapy in its Salisbury center. The grants, totaling $12,500, are making it possible for Easter Seals to provide a Spanish translator to work with the therapists and parents during their child’s therapy session.  

Three and a half year-old Donavan, who receives therapy in Salisbury, has made tremendous strides in reaching his therapy goals now that his occupational therapist has a translator to help explain to his mom in Spanish how to integrate the activities in his daily life.  Donavan has been able to increase his attention span for activities like drawing which is a necessary pre-writing skill that child need to master before they enter school.

“Approximately 25 percent of the children served in Salisbury speak Spanish as a first language, and most of them have parents who are exclusively Spanish speaking,” said Pam Reuther, Vice-President of Programs for Easter Seals. “Parental involvement is key to successful pediatric therapy and we are excited that these generous grants have made this possible for our Spanish speaking families to play a more active role in their child’s progress.” 

“At Perdue, we share in the belief that children are the heart and future of our communities, and we’re proud to help support the important work being done by Easter Seals through a $5,000 Foundation grant,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation.

“The needs of the nonprofit organizations serving the Lower Eastern Shore continue to grow,” said Doug Wilson, President, Community Foundation. “To help meet the demands throughout Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties, we are pleased to fund Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland programs that improve access to children’s therapy services for Hispanic families.”

Easter Seals has provided disability services in Salisbury since 1996. At its Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy office, Easter Seals currently provides physical, speech and occupational therapies to over 400 children. As the only agency providing comprehensive pediatric outpatient rehabilitation services on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Easter Seals plays a critical role in serving children with disabilities. To learn more about how Easter Seals helps children and adults with disabilities, call 1-800-677-3800 or visit www.de.easterseals.com.

About Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, and represents the Perdue family ownership. Since our beginning on Arthur Perdue’s farm in 1920, through expansion into agribusiness and the introduction of the Perdue brand of chicken and turkey under Frank Perdue, to our third-generation of family leadership with Chairman Jim Perdue, we’ve remained a family-owned, family-operated business dedicated to making Perdue the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.  To learn more about Perdue, visit www.perduefarms.com®.

About the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The 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.

About the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore
Since 1984, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) has been serving the needs of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties granting more than $30 million over the past ten years.  Through the generosity and vision of our donors, CFES awarded grants totaling more than $5.4 million in fiscal year 2013.  CFES brings together donors and builds on community assets through scholarship grants, advocacy, and leadership development.  By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods, and nonprofit capacity building, the Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment.  For more information about the Community Foundation, please visit www.cfes.org for more information or call 410-742-9911.