Shorebirds Join Mountaire
Mountaire's Newest Partner, Giant Foods, a Major Contributor, Along With the Dagsboro Church of God, the American Legion Post 28 to Grow Meals for Persons in Need by Hundreds of Boxes.
(Millsboro, DE) - The 15th Annual Thanksgiving for Thousands program gets underway on Saturday, November 7th at the Giant Foods store location in Longneck, DE. The program provides balanced meals to those less fortunate households across Delmarva for the Thanksgiving Holiday. In 2008 the non-profit effort helped feed over 30,000 people and this year, with the additional support of Giant Foods, Inc and the local community we hope to grow that number to more than 35,000 residents across the Shore. On November 7th beginning at 9a.m. representatives from Mountaire Farms, Giant Foods and American Legion Post 28 will join together in asking the community for their support in obtaining food supplies to meet the growing needs of this great cause. Shoppers entering Giant will be handed a list of staple foods necessary for the program, and if they choose to help, can purchase items for donation prior to the Thanksgiving for Thousands food packing event on Monday, November 23rd.
Fifteen years ago, Mountaire Farms and members at the Dagsboro Church of God developed a new format to help feed those Delmarva residents in need around the Thanksgiving Holiday. The goal being to get away from the traditional table-served meals made available at area shelters and provide a means to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner in the traditional sense from the privacy of home. Individuals or families in our Delmarva Community who reach out for help through requests to food banks, churches and governmental agencies can receive a Thanksgiving for Thousands box filled with the staple foods needed to prepare a meal for the entire household. Each box will contain a Giant Foods roaster, (2) 16 oz. cans of corn, string beans, peas, pork & beans, yams, gravy and cranberries; plus a box of cake mix, icing, stuffing mix, bread crumbs, and a loaf of bread. Our belief is that by selecting a nutritious array of staple food and a bird, recipients may cook the meal from the confines of their own home to their own culture and taste.
The Mountaire Farms Thanksgiving for Thousands program is one of the most respected non-profit food programs on Delmarva; At a critical time in our economic history when the need for community support in all areas of Delmarva living is extremely acute, it is important for everyone to join together to grow this program and others like it. This is one big reason why Giant Foods has pledged their corporate support to the Thanksgiving for Thousands program and agreed to help provide the 76,200 16-oz cans and boxed staples, plus their Giant Foods roaster(s) to fill the more than four thousand boxes to be distributed this season.
Packing begins on Monday, November 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the Mountaire Farms of Delmarva location in Selbyville, DE at the corner of Hoosier & Railroad Street and Noon at the American Legion Post 28 location off Rte 24 in Oak Orchard, DE. On that day more than 500 volunteers, coming from Delmarva area schools, churches, governmental agencies and the community at large will come together with employees of Mountaire Farms and all the technical manpower and machinery they can provide to create the line production process used to pack and distribute all of the food boxes going out this year. All are invited to join us at either location for a day of thanksgiving celebration, packing food to be cooked by the recipients, our sisters and brothers, on this true "thankful to be an American" holiday.
On Tuesday November 24th volunteers will work from a parking lot warehouse for food pickup by name and box number at Dagsboro Church of God located on highway 113, Delaware. Pick-ups from the American Legion Post 28 in Oak Orchard will begin at 3p.m. on the 23rd immediately following the completion of the packing process.
As in past years Mountaire will host its own job fair at each packing location on November 23rd as it seeks to provide employment opportunities to those who qualify at both the Millsboro and Selbyville plant locations. Individuals applying for employment can complete the application process and receive a live on-site interview. In 2008 Mountaire interacted with more than 100 job applicants on the Thanksgiving sites and hired seventy individuals to fill open positions.
If you'd like to help to purchase the food staples send a donation to Thanksgiving for Thousands, Mountaire Farms, 29016, Route 24, Millsboro Delaware 19966.
CONTACT:
Roger Marino
Corporate Community Relations Director
Mountaire Farms
(302) 934-3123