Novus 2014 Food Drive Offers Local Children Freedom from Summer Hunger

US - Novus International has last week honoured the generosity of itsr employees by matching donations to the St. Louis Area Foodbank. The company’s matching funds bring the 2014 Food and Funds Drive total to $15,000.
calendar icon 3 July 2014
clock icon 3 minute read

The theme of this year’s food drive, 'Freedom from Summer Hunger', focused on helping children who struggle with hunger during the summer months when they do not have access to subsidised school meals.

Frank Finnegan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank, accepted the donation from Novus’s David Friedman at the Novus corporate headquarters.

He said: “It is the ongoing support of community institutions like Novus International that allows us to continue our work in the fight against hunger. The generosity of Novus employees and management has been demonstrated year after year. Thanks to them, we will be able to provide an additional 60,000 meals to families in need in the bi-state region.”

One in six Americans lives in a household that cannot afford adequate food. Food insecurity affects 50 million people in United States, including 17 million children.

Missouri ranks 45th in the ratio of summer meals to school year meals, with eight children fed in the summer for every 100 who qualify during the school year. The 2014 Novus Food Drive Committee set a goal to collect 30,000 pounds of food from 27 May to 13 June. Thanks to the generosity of Novus’ employees and the company’s matching funds, more than 60,000 meals can be provided to local families through the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

Novus employees rose to the challenge and were motivated through employee engagement rewards, such as weekly giveaways and an ice cream social for the winning team.

Patrick Delhougne of the St. Louis Area Foodbank spoke with employees about the mission of the food drive in the final days for giving.

Samson Li, vice president of global sales and marketing, even participated in the SNAP challenge and blogged about his experience to help employees put hunger into perspective on a daily basis. His experiences were chronicled on the Novus blog to share the mission with all stakeholders.

David Friedman, chief financial officer at Novus, added: "We're proud to support the St. Louis Area. With a corporate vision to help feed the world affordable, wholesome food and achieve a higher quality of life, we recognize that it begins right here at home. We are delighted to be able to help families in the St. Louis area."

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.