In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have contributed over $8 million to-date in financial support and food to organizations across North America. We first announced on March 16 that we would donate $1 million in cash and food to food banks and local pantries in our hometowns. The need in our local communities has been so great that we have exceeded that amount and expect it to continue to increase.
Our help is needed now more than ever, as the communities in which we operate adapt to the crisis and manage both the social and economic impact of the pandemic. The funds will feed people in our communities across the country, from our chip factory in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and our offices in Tualatin, Oregon, to our meals and beverages plant in Napoleon, Ohio, and dozens of towns in between.
Through this commitment, we are providing direct financial support to local food banks, pantries and community organizations across the country. The funding is critically important as these organizations work to quickly shift the way they operate from direct feeding to mobile pantries, meal delivery and other approaches dictated by this crisis.
“The increased need for shelf-stable food has been a consistent request from food banks in the wake of this pandemic. We’ll continue to work with them to determine which products are most needed and dedicate production runs to meet their needs,” said Kim Fortunato, Vice President of Community Affairs and President of The Campbell Soup Foundation.
Additionally, shipments of food donations are arriving to the Feeding America food bank network in these same areas, as well as other local pantries or feeding programs.
Our initial distribution of funds and/or foods went to the following organizations in our hometown communities:
Campbell’s Foodservice donates food to Convoy of Hope
Campbell’s Foodservice team provides made-to-serve foods, including soups, entrees and snacks, for education, fine dining and healthcare organizations. To provide support, they donated over $700,000 of food to Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to dispersing food to those in need across the world.
Support for local Camden High School students
Along with providing food for our neighbors nationwide, we have committed $100,000 to the Camden City School District in Camden, New Jersey, home of our world headquarters since 1869. The funds will provide all students at six public high schools with laptops for remote learning, a resource that’s critical in keeping students engaged and connected while at home.
Campbell Canada shifts marketing $ to COVID-19 Relief
Our Canadian team shifted their Andy Warhol 60th anniversary campaign to support communities in need. Now, they’re using their $300,000 CAD marketing budget to help food banks across Canada.
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund
The Campbell Soup Foundation has donated $100,000 to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) as a founding funder. The fund was created to fight the medical, social and economic impact of COVID-19 on New Jersey’s most vulnerable.
Campbell’s Chunky teams up with Zach Ertz and Saquon Barkley
Campbell’s Chunky has matched Zach Ertz’s $100,000 contribution to Philabundance, which is in addition to the donation of food our company made earlier.
We also partnered with Saquon Barkley to make donations to the Food Bank of New York City and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Donating to one of the NFL’s charitable partners, Feeding America
During the NFL Draft, our CEO Mark Clouse announced a $500,000 contribution to Feeding America in honor of our front-line employees who are working to ensure there’s food on tables across North America.
As Mark said, “We will continue to provide food and comfort to those who need it most.”
In these unprecedented times, we will continue to support the many communities that we call home.
Learn more about how we’re responding to COVID-19 and supporting our employees.
Image courtesy of The Food Bank of South Jersey.
Updated on December 17, 2020
