Perdue donates 80,000 pounds of chicken to MD Food Bank Eastern Shore

SALISBURY, Md. — A big donation from Perdue is filling more than plates. It’s feeding communities in need.

Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, said, “We have a longstanding partnership with the Maryland Food Bank and Feeding America across the country, everywhere that Perdue calls home. And we really wanted to get involved in Hunger Action Month in a really special way this year.”

Nechay said the company doubled the allocation of donations to the food bank this month.

Elise Krikau, chief philanthropy officer of the Maryland Food Bank, said, “We’re celebrating the donation of 80,000 pounds of chicken from Perdue Farms.”

Officials at the Maryland Food Bank–Eastern Shore said this partnership helps them reach their goals.

“It’s key for us because we have a commitment to nutrition and getting protein and produce out to our neighbors who are facing food insecurity. That is a priority for us.”

As prices rise, the food bank is seeing more food insecurity affecting the community.

“We’re seeing that the cost of groceries is up 30% since 2019, and all of us are feeling it. So for neighbors who are facing food insecurity, this is a big deal,” Krikau said.

Fourteen percent of Eastern Shore residents don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Jennifer Trager, program manager at Catholic Charities’ Seton Center, said, “Everybody’s feeling the grocery bill. Everybody’s feeling the crunch. So any time that we’re able to minimize some of that stress of going to the grocery store, we are so extremely grateful.”

Nechay added, “We want to make sure that all of our neighbors benefit from anything we can do, especially when we want to deliver hope to our neighbors in a way like fighting hunger.”