ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WITN) – Perdue Farms has donated 40,000 pounds of chicken products to the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. The company said the donation will help feed food-insecure children and families.

Perdue says the gift is equivalent to roughly 33,000 meals. The company said its goal is to improve the quality of life and strengthen the community through the Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors program.

“This gift of nutritious protein comes at a time when families continue to struggle with putting meals on their tables,” said Liz Reasoner, executive director of the Food Bank of the Albemarle. “For years, Perdue Farms has been a tremendous partner in our ability to alleviate the hardships of those struggling with food insecurity. Together, we are providing wholesome meals and delivering a little hope to our neighbors.”

The Food Bank of Albemarle has been serving 15 counties in eastern North Carolina for 40 years and said that 1-in-4 people, including children, do not have regular access to nutritional foods and lifestyles.