Hy-Vee, Hormel Foods Partner to Fight Hunger in Sioux Falls
December 19, 2014 | News & Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nearly 1,000 free ham coupons given to Sioux Falls students facing food insecurities this holiday
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (Dec. 19, 2014) — Hy-Vee, Inc. and Hormel Foods Corp. have partnered to fight hunger in the Sioux Falls community. When 950 Sioux Falls students leave school today for holiday break, they will carry home in their backpacks a Hormel “Hams for Hunger” coupon valued at $20.
“We can’t say thank you enough to Hy-Vee and Hormel for showing, through this gesture, their care for our students,” said DeeAnn Konrad, community relations supervisor for the Sioux Falls School District. “These vouchers are going to our students and families who are most in need. The donation will be a blessing to them during the long break from school and will make the holidays a little less stressful.”
Sioux Falls School District officials elected to provide the coupons to students who receive free or reduced-priced meals and who belong to Feeding South Dakota’s BackPack Program. Each week, the backpack program provides weekend packages of food to at-risk, chronically hungry school children.
The Hormel “Hams for Hunger” coupons will be distributed with the food bags in time for today’s weekly pickup, so students can take them home for the holidays. The manufacturer coupons are valued at $20 each and can be redeemed for a Hormel Cure 81 ham at any of the seven Hy-Vee stores in Sioux Falls. The total donation by Hy-Vee and Hormel Foods is valued at $19,000.
According to Konrad, 48 percent of students in the Sioux Falls School District receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. At some schools, 90 percent of their student population is on the government assistance program.
“No child should have to leave school on Friday, only to have the stress and worry of when they will eat again,” said Laura Fulton, senior vice president of operations for Hy-Vee’s northern region. “We thank Hormel Foods for this opportunity to extend additional support to families who are facing food insecurities in our communities. It’s an important issue to our company, and one that deserves attention year-round.”
Hormel Foods is helping those in need both in the United States and internationally through its On Our Way to Ending Hunger program. The company collaborates with retailers, nonprofits and the government on hunger relief efforts; nourishes the hungry in the United States and abroad; and motivates individuals and corporate partners to take action to fight hunger. In addition, this is the fourth consecutive year that Hormel Foods has given funds to U.S. manufacturing facilities to share with nonprofits in their respective communities to fight hunger. In 2013, Hormel Foods donated $220,000 to local hunger relief organizations in more than 20 U.S. communities where it has manufacturing facilities.
What You Can Do to Help
For more information on ways you can help fight hunger in the Sioux Falls community, visit the Feeding South Dakota website at www.feedingsouthdakota.org.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 235 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of more than $8.7 billion annually. Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Supermarket News, the authoritative voice of the food industry, has honored the company with a Whole Health Enterprise Award for its leadership in providing services and programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, S&P Dividend Aristocrats for 2012, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders and was again named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the fifth year in a row. Hormel Foods debuted on the G.I. Jobs magazine list of America’s Top 100 Military Friendly Employers in 2012. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com.