Tyson Foods to Donate 30,000 Pounds of Food to Benefit Café Reconcile and the Second Harvest Food Bank
Tyson Foods' Food Service division announced on December 16 that it will donate 30,000 pounds of food to two metro New Orleans organizations, Café Reconcile and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans. Donations are being made in support of the International Foodservice Editorial Council’s (IFEC) community-outreach efforts in New Orleans during its annual conference.
“Times are more difficult than ever, and we are grateful that Tyson has partnered with us to support our philanthropy in New Orleans,” said Carol Lally, executive director, IFEC. “As the first truckload donation in IFEC’s more than 50-year history, this donation from Tyson is not only generous but also a milestone.”
IFEC held its annual meeting Nov. 8–11, 2010, in New Orleans and selected Café Reconcile—a New Orleans-based nonprofit that teaches at-risk children and youths all aspects of running a restaurant—as the beneficiary of its community service efforts.
The council donated $1,500 to the Café Reconcile Development fund. In addition, IFEC donated more than 600 cookbooks to the Southern Food & Beverage Museum. Tyson Food Service extended the outreach in New Orleans with food donations to Café Reconcile and the New Orleans Food Bank.
“Supporting organizations such as these is an integral part of our corporate philosophy at Tyson,” said Rodger Starnes, vice president of foodservice marketing and customer development at Tyson Foods. “We feel honored and humbled to have the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of others by providing donations to two notable organizations—one which feeds those in need and another which helps transform the lives of young adults by opening up doors to careers in hospitality.”
Tyson Food Service started with a base donation, then further increased donations to the two organizations by 100 pounds for every “like” received on the Tyson Food Service Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TysonFoodService) between November 8 and 30. Tyson Food Service will split the 30,000-pound donation between Café Reconcile and the Second Harvest Food Bank.
In a similar challenge conducted in October, Tyson Food Service donated 26,000 pounds to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Teens at Work and the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Academy of Redan High School. Tyson Food Service made a base donation of 10,000 pounds to the three organizations and garnered a total of 160 new “likes” on its Facebook page for an additional 16,000 pounds.
About Café Reconcile
Café Reconcile is a nonprofit restaurant that uses innovative strategies to provide life skills and job training to youth from at-risk communities in the New Orleans area. Since the restaurant opened in 2000, more than 500 young people (ages 16-22) have successfully completed the program and moved into permanent jobs in the New Orleans’ foodservice industry. Focusing on the kind of “soul food” for which New Orleans is known, the restaurant has earned high praise from local and national critics. For more information about how to donate or support Café Reconcile, please visit www.reconcileneworleans.com.
Photo (l. to r.): Kimberly Reddin, member, IFEC Community Service Committee; Mary Humann, co-chair, IFEC Community Service Committee; Donna Bowie, director of programs, Café Reconcile; David Giardina, general manager, Café Reconcile; John Scroggins, co-chair, IFEC Community Service Committee; Cate Puzo, member, IFEC Community Service Committee.