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Perdue volunteers Chris Rhoads, Michael Adamson and Tina Pearson participate in the "Elect To End Hunger" event. WATCH VIDEO

Salisbury, Md. (November 12, 2012) — Perdue Farms, through the volunteer efforts of its associates and the financial support of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, is helping the Maryland Food Bank fight hunger this holiday season.

The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation awarded the Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore a $15,000 grant to fund its “Elect to End Hunger” campaign. The monies were used to purchase food that was packed in 1,500 boxes for distribution to struggling families in the Salisbury area in November and December. Perdue associates joined volunteers from other organizations to pack the boxes with food.

Elect to End Hunger coincides with a statewide effort that begins each summer with the annual Baltimore OriolesREACH Food and Funds Drive. The Maryland Food Bank uses donations from this drive to subsidize the cost of turkeys purchased by soup kitchens, pantries and shelters through a group buying program.  Most of these turkeys are paired with holiday meal boxes packed at Elect to End Hunger.  Boxes include traditional Thanksgiving fixings, such as cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, yams and gravy.

“Due to the increasing need, this marked the Eastern Shore’s first Elect to End Hunger event at our warehouse in Salisbury. We are grateful for Perdue’s continued support in helping make this event such a success,” said Jennifer Small, branch manager of the Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore. “The Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore has a long-standing relationship with Perdue and the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. Through many venues; food and fund donations, as well as volunteer efforts, both Perdue and the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, have helped us fight hunger throughout our state, proving their commitment to community action.”

Bill Hetherington, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, said, “At Perdue, we believe that in a country as rich in resources as ours, no one should have to go hungry. That is why Perdue partners with Feeding America and its network of community food banks and pantries, of which the Maryland Food Bank is a valued member. We’re pleased to support the “Elect to End Hunger” program with a grant from the Foundation.

“About 25 volunteers, many of whom were Perdue associates, participated in the packing event. There are more people in our community than most of us would imagine who are not getting enough to eat. It’s a great feeling to know that this event will enable many families to enjoy a holiday meal together,” he said.

Perdue has a long partnership with the Maryland Food Bank, including support from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. In recent years, the Foundation has helped the Maryland Food Bank fund the launch of a school pantry program in Wicomico County elementary schools, provided funding for a freezer expansion project at the Eastern Shore branch, and issued a challenge grant to engage the Maryland Food Bank and two other food banks on the Delmarva Peninsula and the community in a food drive in conjunction with the Delmarva Shorebirds.

About the Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank was founded in 1979 as the first food bank on the East Coast.  Its mission is to lead the movement and nurture the belief that together we can improve the lives of all Marylanders by ending hunger.  The Maryland Food Bank has facilities in Baltimore County, Washington County and Wicomico County comprising more than 125,000-square-feet of warehouse space. Last year, the Maryland Food Bank distributed more than 26 million pounds of food to a network of 600 soup kitchens, pantries and shelters across the state.

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 company dedicated to making Perdue the most-trusted name in food and agricultural products.

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™.