Our Community

Giving back has long been a part of the Perdue Farms culture. That tradition continues through our “Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors®” outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities where we live and work, and beyond.

As a food and agriculture company, we are uniquely positioned to help thousands of Americans experiencing food insecurity. Through collaborative partnerships, our nutritious protein donations helped struggling individuals and families put meals on their tables in FY23, especially during difficult economic times.

Since 2000, Perdue Farms has partnered with Feeding America® and its network of food banks to help neighbors in our communities who are struggling with food insecurity. During our FY23, we delivered more than 92 million pounds of protein to regional food banks serving our communities – the equivalent of 77 million meals. Perdue Farms was one of the first meat companies to implement a formal program of ongoing donations of perishable protein products, creating a model for other companies to follow.

We are also dedicated to Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® in our communities in other ways, including through the power of volunteerism and encouraging our associates to engage in causes to support our neighbors. Our associates have big hearts and are making a difference in their communities.

We also improve quality of life in our communities with targeted philanthropic partnerships through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms. In FY23, the Foundation earmarked nearly $1.7 million to 71 non-profits in our communities. The financial contributions strengthen our communities by focusing efforts on education, agriculture, the environment, health and social services, public safety, and fighting hunger and poverty.

Here are some examples of how Perdue Farms supported its neighbors in FY21:

• In western North Carolina, the Perdue Foundation earmarked $50,000 to support the Wilkes Soil & Water Conservation District’s new mobile soil classroom. The 24-foot classroom on wheels offers students and teachers an interactive, walk-through learning experience related to soil and its role in the ecosystem and their lives.
• In Delaware, Perdue delivered a $250,000 grant to help jumpstart the Food Bank of Delaware’s capital campaign to build a new 67,000-square-foot branch in Milford, Del. The new facility will serve the needs of more than 50,000 residents of Kent and Sussex counties struggling with food insecurity.

• In Detroit, Perdue Farms delivered a little hope to youth ages 8-18 served by the nonprofit SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park, an innovative after-school program. Our associates in nearby St. Claire Shores provided 125 students with backpacks filled with school supplies, and the company chipped in a $10,000 grant to support after-school programming and a truckload of nutritious chicken.
• In southeast Georgia, the Perdue Foundation provided America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia with a $50,000 grant to support its “Feeding the Future” capital campaign to build a new facility in Savannah. The food bank will relocate to a centralized 145,000-square-foot facility that includes warehouse space, a commercial kitchen, and a volunteer center to pack boxes of food for community and youth hunger programs.

• Perdue partnered with boxing legend Evander Holyfield in December 2022 to deliver a little holiday cheer to children at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., and Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. Holyfield posed for pictures and delivered treats and PERDUE® products for the children and their families.

• In Virginia, Perdue Farms renewed its financial support for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Good Food School Markets, 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.
• In northern California, Perdue provided funds and protein to support the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s “Every Child, Every Day” school-based nutrition program and other food insecurity programs benefiting children, families, and seniors.

• In the suburban Atlanta area, Perdue Farms provided the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office a truckload of chicken to help feed more than 3,000 families during the department’s second annual Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Food Giveaway.
• In Salisbury, Md., associates continued their support for the American Cancer Society “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign by generating $20,000 to fund priorities such as ACS priorities of cancer research, education on cancer prevention, screening and treatment, and patient and family services for those undergoing
  cancer treatment.
• The Franklin P. and Arthur Perdue Foundation delivered a $50,000 grant to help fund expansion of the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina in Yadkinville. The additional space will allow the Yadkin Family YMCA to expand youth programming and health interventions for community members with chronic conditions. In Yadkin County, 23 percent of youth younger than age 18 live in poverty.

• United, We’re Making a Difference: In 2022, Perdue associates helped contribute nearly$400,000 in personal pledges and fund- raising for local United Ways in our communities. Our associates’ donations often represent the largest percent of contributions to support those local United Way campaigns. The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation provides partial matching grants to support associates’ contributions and other funding that supports United Way partners in
  our communities.
• Brightening the Holidays for Children: Across our company footprint, associates provided holiday gifts for hundreds of children and families through partnerships with The Salvation Army Angel Tree program and other similar programs with nonprofits.