SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Joining the ranks of food companies offering relief to the more than 800,000 unpaid federal workers during the partial government shutdown over the past month, Tyson Foods Inc. announced donations of about 685,000 meals to organizations in the Washington, D.C., area helping the families of those affected. The company is delivering about 85 tons of food to a food bank as well as a community kitchen and the USO Warrior and Family Center in Virginia over the next several weeks.

“As the largest US food company, we want to do our part to help federal workers and their families who have been going without pay due to the shutdown,” said Justin Whitmore, Tyson’s executive vice president of continuous improvement and chief sustainability officer.

In the weeks ahead, the company is shipping several truckloads of donated chicken to the Capital Area Food Bank in coordination with the League of Latin American Citizens as well as sending 14,000 lbs. of chicken to the D.C. Central Kitchen and a Feb. 6 shipment of chicken to the non-profit group supporting military service members’ families.

“We are committed to hunger relief in the United States, and whether a community is struggling with hunger, food insecurity or natural disaster, we’re there to help where help is needed the most,” Whitmore said.