In the photo (from left to right): Fulfillment VP Mike Perkins joined Fulfillment's Frontline Supervisor Julie Doyon, Wayside Food Program's Don Morrison, Chief Operations Officer Bob Peixotto, Fulfillment's Janice Jeffrey and Wayside Food Program's Sam Russo on the final food drive pickup, with special guest the Bootmobile!
L.L. Bean Gives Hunger the Boot
To celebrate their 100th anniversary and long history of giving back to their community, L.L. Bean, in partnership with the United Way, hosted Give Hunger the Boot, an employee food drive at all of their U.S. locations. The food drive, which concluded July 6, yielded 5,948 pounds—nearly three tons—of food, which translates to approximately 5,000 meals for 1,250 families coping with food insecurity.
The goal of the drive was to provide additional food during the summer months (when food drives are not as prevalent and free lunch programs for kids shut down). The three-week campaign was designed to fill the empty shelves of food bank warehouses in Maine—and in L.L. Bean's regional retail and outlet store communities. From June 18 through July 6, employees dropped off non-perishables, including kid-friendly snacks, at collection sites across the company.
In Freeport, 2,363 pounds of food was collected, enough for an estimated 1,969 meals or a sufficient amount to feed roughly 492 families. The dozens of boxes were filled with essentials from peanut butter and jelly to granola bars, rice, pasta and more, which were donated to Portland's Wayside Food Programs. Wayside supports a wide range of people in need and last year distributed 1.5 million pounds of food across Southern Maine.
Maine locations outside of Freeport (Brunswick and Lewiston Manufacturing; Northport, Peck, and Bangor Contact Centers) collected a combined total of 1,246 pounds of food, which translates to 1,038 meals for families that rely on the Mid-Coast Hunger Project and the Good Shepard Food Bank for support during tough times.
The grand total for L.L. Bean's regional retail and outlet stores? Another 2,339 pounds of food for local pantries, community soup kitchens and shelters.
While Give Hunger the Boot is officially over, food insecurity across the nation is not. There's always a way to make a difference, whether dropping off non-perishables to a local food pantry, giving to United Way, or spending time volunteering in the community. Let's all keep working together to Give Hunger the Boot.
