This is a special guest post from Ed Nicholson, Director of Community and Public Relations at Tyson Foods.
This week, we were witness to one of the most exciting efforts we’ve seen in the dozen years Tyson Foods has been formally involved in the fight against hunger. Ten thousand FFA members will pack more than one million meals for hunger relief as part of FFA’s Rally to Fight Hunger at the organization’s national convention in Indianapolis.
It’s all part of a broader FFA initiative, Feeding the World, Starting at Home, which puts a significant organizational focus on the issue of hunger, both here in the U.S. and abroad. It’s a great fit for the FFA, as well as sponsors like Tyson Foods.
This week’s effort was a tremendous achievement in and of itself. But it’s the future opportunity that carries the real excitement. A big part of the experience for the students was a challenge to carry what they saw and learned back to their home communities. To spread awareness. To recruit others. To stay involved themselves and find ways they can solve the problem of food insecurity, first in their own communities, then across the country and around the globe.
If you’ve ever been to an FFA convention, you know that the members who end up there are some of the best and brightest in America. They’re energetic, they’re motivated, and the FFA’s focus on character and leadership development poises them for success. They know how food is produced, and many of them will be going into careers related to food production. Imagine thousands of these students with a new passion for ending hunger, going back home to towns all across the U.S. and getting involved in hunger relief. The potential is HUGE!
For those of us at Tyson foods, it was exciting to be there as part of this event. As a proud sponsor of the FFA, we can’t wait to see what happens next!
Ed Nicholson
National FFA Convention and Expo Blog 