StarKist® Partners with Feed the Children and Cornerstones for Fourth Annual Summer Food and Resource Rally in Northern Virginia

Contributed by StarKist Co.

Photo by Chip McCrea

Hunger remains a significant issue in communities throughout Northern Virginia, where thousands of families face food insecurity. In response, StarKist, Feed the Children, and Cornerstones partnered with Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon on June 6 to host their Fourth Annual Summer Food and Resource Rally today, providing hunger relief to 400 underserved families in the region.

Photo by Chip McCrea

"StarKist is proudly headquartered in Reston, and partnering with Cornerstones and Feed the Children for our Fourth Annual Resource Rally allows us to make a direct and meaningful difference for those facing real challenges in our community," said Edward Min, StarKist President and CEO. "In uncertain times, access to affordable, high-quality protein is essential, and we're proud that StarKist products can help meet that need."

During the event, regional business leaders, elected officials, StarKist employee volunteers, and community advocates joined forces to help address food insecurity along the Dulles Corridor. Volunteers distributed 400 family kits containing StarKist products, 25-pound boxes of shelf-stable food, 15-pound boxes of hygiene essentials, and additional resources. Each kit was designed to support a family of four, providing more than 8,300 meals to 400 households this summer.

"Food insecurity in Fairfax County has reached new highs," reflects Kerrie Wilson, CEO of Cornerstones. "Many local families who have never needed assistance before are now turning to neighborhood food pantries for help. At our Cornerstones' Assistance Services and Food Pantry and our FREE from Hunger Center, as well as at many of the region's neighborhood pantries and feeding programs, we are seeing a surge in families reaching out for support. We are deeply grateful to team up with StarKist and Feed the Children, whose generosity and commitment have made a real difference for our neighbors in need this summer."

Photo by Chip McCrea

For Feed the Children, the Summer Food and Resource Rally provides an opportunity to help meet the community's immediate needs while making a meaningful difference for families. Feed the Children believes it takes everyone – the nonprofit sector, corporations, community organizations, government officials, and food suppliers – to come together to end childhood hunger.

"We've seen the significant impact Resource Rallies have in supporting communities experiencing food insecurity, and we're grateful to be working with StarKist and Cornerstones to make a difference in the lives of children and families," said Emily Callahan, President and CEO of Feed the Children. "Working together we're able to provide food and quality of life essentials that children and families need to survive, grow, and thrive. Through the power of partnership, we can make a greater impact as we seek to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry."

In addition to the event in Reston, StarKist will partner with Feed the Children to host a Summer Resource Rally in Bentonville, Arkansas later this month, and will also collaborate with the Magic Johnson Foundation on its Holiday Hope event in Los Angeles in November.

Over the past 16 years, StarKist has donated more than 1.2 million pounds of protein-rich tuna and chicken products, representing nearly $4.9 million in product donations and an additional $985,000 in monetary support to help food-insecure children and families across the U.S. Through its ongoing partnership with Feed the Children, StarKist has supported more than 20 Resource Rally events nationwide, including disaster and emergency response efforts. These efforts continue StarKist's long history of addressing hunger and food shortages, a commitment that dates back to 1917 when the company helped meet the nation's protein needs during World War I.