SELBYVILLE, Del - The holiday season is in full swing and so are efforts to bring joy to those who need it most. Like many other practices this year, however, spreading good will does not come without concern of spreading coronavirus. Mountaire's Thanksgiving for Thousands initiative saw many changes, but the mission to feed those in need remained the same.
This year's event kicked off early Thursday morning with volunteers and Mountaire employees gathering in an outdoor tent rather than one of the company's warehouses. Taking additional steps to lower the risk of community spread, volunteers were limited, masks and temperature checks were required.
Mountaire Community Relations Manager, Zach Evans explained that this year's precautionary measures were essential for the project's success. “This has become a holiday tradition for a lot of folks here on Delmarva not just for Mountaire," said Evans. "So we wanted to make sure that we could still have volunteers here and do it safely”.
Twenty thousand boxes complete with enough chicken, and Thanksgiving staples for a family of four are set to be donated with half being distributed on Delmarva and the other ten thousand in North Carolina. With less workers on hand, organizers split the normally one-day event into two. However, Thursday's volunteers exceeded expectations, breezing through over 4 thousand boxes in just over two hours.
Blown away by being so far ahead of schedule, Mountaire President, Phillip Plylar expressed gratitude to community members for making it all happen. He shared that while the Mountaire is in the chicken business, paying it forward gives the company purpose. "We know there's a lot of businesses that have been challenged or shut down," he said. "A lot of people out of work, a lot of people in need. And what better way to reach out and show some of what we do with the local community".
Friday, crews will finish stuffing the remaining food boxes. On Monday, November 23rd, those boxes will be distributed to nearly 150 organizations and churches throughout Delmarva to be given to identified communities in need.