For the 11th consecutive year, Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Newman’s Own® Inc. and Feeding America to distribute food to communities in need across five regions of the country. Over the past decade, more than 100 refrigerated Ford trucks have carried perishable foods to these communities; thanks to a recent donation of five more vehicles, every state will get a visit from a Ford truck or van filled with nutritious Newman’s Own food.
The Partnership for Hunger Relief started when actor, entrepreneur and humanitarian Paul Newman contacted Bill Ford who was then the chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company. Newman’s mission was to improve the distribution of healthy, perishable food including fresh produce to hungry, hard-to-reach communities throughout rural America. Eleven years later, Ford vehicles have delivered more than 176 million meals in both urban and suburban areas, covering approximately 6.7 million miles. Many states even have multiple trucks.
Newman’s Own, Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Indoe is proud of the program’s achievements. “More than 12 years ago, Paul Newman realized there was a great need to get nutritious food more broadly distributed. With 49 million people facing hunger, we are glad this program continues to help make a difference, especially in the current economic environment.” In fall 2011, the following organizations received trucks from the Partnership for Hunger Relief:
- Atlanta Community Food Bank (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Dare to Care Food Bank (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida (Fort Myers, Florida)
- Josephine County Food Bank (Grants Pass, Oregon)
- Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and President and CEO Vicki Escarra notes that the strong relationship between the three organizations has helped meet the growing needs of communities. “We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of people seeking food assistance from the Feeding America network. Today, we are feeding 37 million people each year – a staggering 46 percent increase since 2006. The Ford Motor Company and Newman’s Own have been long-time generous supporters of our mission. We continue to build partnerships like this to help our food banks provide more donated food to more people in need.”
The recent donation of five additional Ford trucks is making a big impact in places like Louisville, Kentucky and nearby Indiana – a region often referred to as “Kentuckiana.” Brian Riendeau, Executive Director of Dare to Care Food Bank, feels that Ford’s most recent gift is timely for the area’s families. “We are in a period of unprecedented need for food assistance in our community. This investment by Ford in our capacity to serve Kentuckiana continues the tradition of community generosity that created Dare to Care over 40 years ago.”
At the Ford Louisville Assembly Plant, Plant Manager John Savona is pleased that his workplace has made such a positive impact on the surrounding area. “We are delighted that the truck donated to Dare to Care Food Bank was produced right here in Louisville at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant.”
The teamwork between Ford Motor Company, Newman’s Own and Feeding America has already improved the lives of millions of individuals across the country. Now into its second decade, the Partnership for Hunger Relief promises to continue bringing healthy, fresh food to Americans for years to come.
For more information, visit www.feedingamerica.org, www.newmansownfoundation.org, and www.buhlerford.com.
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