Investing in Local Communities During Hunger Action Month 

September marked Hunger Action Month, an annual nationwide period dedicated to spreading awareness about hunger in America. Every action – big or small – is one step closer to ensuring all communities have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive. 

This year’s movement comes at a time when the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity continues to rise, with food banks struggling to meet demands of families in the communities they serve. According to the USDA, 34 million people in the U.S. – 1 in 10, including more than 9 million children – experience food insecurity.  

To help combat the hunger crisis affecting millions of Americans, Tyson Foods joined the Hunger Action Month movement again this year through financial assistance, protein donations and volunteer efforts, among other initiatives.  

To kick off the month, the company donated $2.5 million to Feeding America – the company’s longtime partner – to reinforce its commitment to ending hunger. A portion of this donation will support Equitable Food Access grants, aiming to improve access to nutritious food, while remaining funds will be allocated to maintaining and expanding capacity of eight protein “pack rooms” across the Feeding America network of local food banks.  

Tyson Foods took its efforts one step further by donating 2.5 million pounds of protein, the equivalent of 10 million servings,¹ to communities where its team members live, work and play. From New Jersey to Washington to right here in Northwest Arkansas, our local team members supported donation events through event coordination, product delivery and protein distribution.  

Highlights from local protein donations and volunteer initiatives during Hunger Action Month include: 

• 130,000 pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 520,000 servings, donated to River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith, Arkansas. 
• 40,000 pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 160,000 servings, donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Pasco, Washington.  
• 36,000 pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 144,000 servings, donated to Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside, New Jersey. 
• 12,000 pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 48,000 servings, donated to The Treehouse Pantry in Springdale, Arkansas. Local team members volunteered their time to organize and distribute protein to approximately 400 families of Springdale School District students. 
• The mobilization of Northwest Arkansas team members in packing emergency boxes at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and stocking grocery shelves at Feed Rogers Food Pantry. 

Team Members Tackle Food Insecurity, Resulting in Additional 1M-Pound Protein Donation 

Our team members took Hunger Action Month head on, participating in a variety of activities to bolster our community impact and demonstrate their personal commitment to Hunger Action Month. Enterprise-wide, team members donated both their time and personal funds to local foods banks, utilizing our Benevity giving portal to track their progress. At the end of the month, Tyson Foods donated $12 for each volunteer hour logged to the team member’s non-profit of choice and provided a 2:1 match for monetary donations. 

At our world headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, Tyson Foods combined team member well-being and hunger action in a new, month-long program as part of its “Living Well at Tyson Foods” initiative. Team members were encouraged to participate in organized activity meetups, as well as track their individual fitness activities through our digital wellness platform, Limeade. Collectively, our Northwest Arkansas team members logged more than 130,000 minutes of physical activity, surpassing our initial activity goal.  

Through the efforts of our dedicated team members, we’re proud to report we will be donating an additional one million pounds of protein to Feeding America, bringing our Hunger Action Month donation total to more than 3.5 million pounds of protein, or the equivalent of 14 million servings.  

We couldn’t be prouder of our team members this month. Their actions helped fight hunger not only across the country, but also in the local communities we serve. As we reflect on our renewed commitment, we’re reminded of the impact our investments in our people, communities and the planet can have in building an equitable and robust food system for all. 

*Tyson estimates that 4 ounces of protein equates to one meal.