Thanks to a $23,000 grant from Tyson Foods, we will be able to increase the amount of nonperishable foods available for our neighbors in Union County facing food insecurity. 

The one-year grant will allow Common Heart to implement a new program, the Food Drive Patrol, to increase the number of food drives held at local grocery stores, as well as those held by local businesses, churches, civic, community, and volunteer organizations. Common Heart currently has 21 food drive partners; these and 10 additional food drives in 2024 brought in 55,000 pounds of nonperishable food. With the help of this grant, the goal is to double the partners to 42 and the amount of food to 100,000 pounds of nonperishables over the next year. 

“We know that hunger relief is the primary way our friends at Tyson Foods give back, and this grant will mean more meals to more people in our community,” Common Heart Executive Director Keith Adams said. “This is a huge boost to our ability to serve more families who need access to free groceries. We’re thrilled to partner with Tyson Foods in this vital way.” 

Common Heart is currently the largest food pantry network in Union County and offers delivery for neighbors who have special dietary needs, such as diabetes, heart care, kidney care, or gluten free. In 2024, Common Heart provided groceries to 22,093 neighbors an average of 6 times through 13 pantry outreaches. 

“Tyson Foods is committed to making our communities the best they can be,” said Tim Grailer, senior director of social impact with Tyson Foods. “We are grateful for our nonprofit partners that work hard each day to improve our shared communities and are honored to invest in their efforts.” 

According to Feeding America, it’s estimated that in Union County, over 25,000 adults and children are hungry or facing the threat of hunger. That’s about 10.5% of the residents of the county, which is an increase of about 3.5% (7,300 people) since 2023. 

We’ve seen this increase firsthand at our pantries with a wave of first time attendees. A staggering 9,372 individuals representing 2,476 households came to one of our food pantries for the very first time last year! Of those individuals, 3,961 are children ages 17 and younger. An estimated 1 in 6 children in Union County live in homes facing food insecurity.