Stampede Meat Gets Salvation Army Ready for Christmas
This guest blog post has been provided by Stampede Meat, who is supporting The Salvation Army Christmas Food Box Project; donating 2,000 chickens, hosting a food drive, and volunteering.
It may feel far too soon to hear jingle bells and see the iconic red kettles outside, but the spirit of the giving season happens year-round at Stampede!
Stampede Meat’s community outreach committee, Stampede Cares, is teaming up with The Salvation Army this year to ensure families in the Greater Chicago Area, Northern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana have a delicious dinner during the holidays.
“The Stampede Cares team consistently works to look for partnerships to achieve our strategy of feeding children and families in need throughout our community,” Vito Giustino, Stampede Cares leader and company CFO said. “We are excited to partner for the first time with The Salvation Army in their Christmas assistance program and ask all our Stampede Meat employees to support Stampede Cares in any way they can.”
Our partnership started with The Salvation Army’s Christmas in July event, where volunteers painted and weatherized their classic red kettles to be set up across the Metropolitan Division for donations this holiday season. The volunteer event and core partnership was featured on NBC 5 Chicago.
“Christmas Dinner is a meaningful time for families to gather together, and The Salvation Army wants to make sure that all families are able to enjoy it,” Lt. Colonel Charles Smith, Salvation Army Divisional Commander, said. “Our Christmas assistance program ensures a bright holiday for more than 11,000 families annually. Families who register for the Army’s Angel Tree program receive toys and clothing for their children to open on Christmas morning and a food box overflowing with a turkey or ham, all the fixings and dessert—everything needed for a full Christmas dinner through our Christmas Food Box Project.”
Stampede will participate in the [Christmas] Food Box Project by donating 2,000 whole chickens, volunteering in a packing day event and collecting additional donations for its canned food drive.
“At Stampede Meat, we are committed to our values and our impact on our community,” Giustino said. “Our Stampede Cares initiative focuses on looking for leading organizations driving to provide support to families throughout the Chicagoland community. The Salvation Army’s Christmas assistance program is a perfect fit for exactly that goal. Our partnership in the program will be a critical piece to bringing 11,000 families a Christmas dinner.”
Learn how The Salvation Army Brightens the Holidays with bell ringing, the Christmas Food Box Project, and Angel Tree.