Released: March 11, 2021
TIFTON, Ga. – To celebrate National Peanut Month, Georgia’s 4,500 peanut farmers are donating 10,080 jars of peanut butter to DC Central Kitchen. The donation is made possible by the Georgia Peanut Commission through Peanut Proud, which is the peanut industry’s humanitarian relief organization. Georgia based truckload carrier, SouthernAG Carriers, graciously donated their truck carrier service to deliver the peanut butter.
“As a farmer, we are proud to begin this partnership with DC Central Kitchen by donating peanut butter which can be used to make more than 141,000 sandwiches,” says Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. “Peanut butter is one of the most requested food items at food banks due to its shelf life. Peanuts are a nutritional superfood which contain more protein than any other nut, as well as a good source of vitamin E and folate.”
DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. DCCK’s social ventures include serving scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools, delivering fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets, and operating a fast-casual café.
“We’re grateful for the continued support of the Georgia Peanut Commission as we fight hunger together during this crisis and beyond. While COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity and health disparities in our communities, these issues did not begin last March, and they won’t end when the last vaccine is distributed. That’s why DCCK’s commitments to job training, job creation, and building a
sustainable food system are so important,” says Mike Curtin, DC Central Kitchen’s CEO. “We appreciate GPC’s engagement with our root cause approach to fighting hunger and look forward to counting them as a partner in our work into the future.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DC Central Kitchen has distributed more than 3.3 million meals and grocery bags at 200 locations across our nation’s capital, responding to a 60 percent increase in food insecurity in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop represents the 2nd Congressional District in Georgia where the majority of Georgia peanuts are grown within the state of Georgia. Seventy-six counties in Georgia grow peanuts and some of the top ten producing counties located in Congressman Bishop’s district include Mitchell, Decatur, Early and Miller counties.
“I am always happy to see the Georgia peanut industry work to help others. The donation of peanut butter from the Georgia Peanut Commission today to the D.C. Central Kitchen is a wonderful example of how agricultural producers can partner with nutrition advocates to reduce hunger in our nation and across the world,” say Bishop, chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
Peanuts are Georgia’s official state crop, and the state boasts the largest share of peanut production in the U.S. at nearly 53 percent for the 2020 crop. Georgia’s 4,500 peanut farmers contribute approximately $2 billion annually to the state and local economy.
Additional information about DC Central Kitchen is available online at www.dccentralkitchen.org and the Georgia Peanut Commission is available at www.gapeanuts.com.
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