The industry rallies to aid those in need.
Peanut Proud didn’t have far to travel with their disaster response to recent storms as it was neighbors in Southwest Georgia and Mississippi who were hit by severe weather two consecutive weeks in January. Even Southern Ag Carriers, who has transported peanut butter donations to other places, was ravaged by the storms, losing their Albany, Ga., terminal shop and office building.
Thousands Sustained With PB
Peanut Proud, the humanitarian organization for the peanut industry responding to disasters quickly delivered peanut butter to churches and food centers in the areas hit.
Gregg Grimsley, chairman from Blakely, Ga., says 10,080 jars–4,320 jars of Peanut Proud Peanut Butter and 5,760 jars of Fisher Peanut Butter–were available for immediate delivery from Lineage Logistics in Albany. The American Peanut Shellers Association coordinated delivery of these jars and already-made sandwiches to area work centers and churches.
When the first round of storms hit in early January, Peanut Proud donated jars of peanut butter for food relief packages that went to low-income school children in a hard hit area. These kids were out of school and their damaged homes were without power for more than 10 days. Without the school lunch/breakfast program, many of these children would not have had access to and adequate supply of nutrition. Thousands of PB&J sandwiches in bag meals were distributed daily all over the area to storm victims in the weeks following the storm.
GPC Brings Relief
The Georgia Peanut Commission donated peanut butter to Second Harvest of South Georgia and disaster relief efforts in Cook and Turner counties.
“Peanut butter is the perfect food in disaster relief efforts since it does not have to be refrigerated, does not require cooking, and delivers a nutritional punch that is life-sustaining,” says Armond Morris, GPC chairman.
“We are overwhelmed by the continuing generosity of Georgia’s farming community,” says Eliza McCall, chief marketing officer with Second Harvest of South Georgia. “This donation from the Georgia Peanut Commission will go a long way toward helping us care for our neighbors in need.”
Approximately 14,400 jars of peanut butter, a combination of Kroger, Fisher, and Golden Boy, were delivered to the commission to be delivered to area food kitchens and churches in the Cook and Turner Counties. Peanut Proud ordered another 34,560 jars of Peanut Proud Peanut Butter from Kroger/Tara Foods in late January to service the disaster areas and assist other peanut producing states needing food relief assistance.
Donations are still being accepted for the Peanut Proud disaster relief efforts, which
include additional areas in South Georgia and Mississippi. Anyone interested in donating to this effort can send tax deductible contributions to: Peanut Proud Inc., P.O. Box 446, Blakely, GA, 39823. Make checks payable to Peanut Proud. For additional information on the project, visit www.gapeanuts.com or www.peanutproud.com.
