Fresh Produce Discussion Blog: Shining light on helping others

From Rick Bella, guest blogger:
I recently returned from the United Fresh (United) & Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Trade show held in Las Vegas. Each year, these two organizations ask exhibitors to donate display food to the local America’s Second Harvest food bank. This year was no different. After the show closing on Wednesday, over 100,000 pounds of food including 60,000 pounds of fresh produce was collected by food bank volunteers. As some readers can attest to, the show closing is certainly organized chaos as workers remove carpet from the show floor, fork lift drivers deliver display shipping containers and exhibitors begin to break down their booths. After all, they have been there day after day and it is time to exit and get back to the dozens of emails that we all seem to receive these days.

The local member located in Las Vegas is called Three Square Food Bank and they were able to seek help from over 75 volunteers who all removed display products that were tagged by exhibitors for “donation”. It is certainly moving to see how vendors protect their food so they can offer good quality to the food bank. One exhibitor on the FMI side of the show used what looked like police crime scene tape to “tape off and protect” their entire booth area and placed signage around the booth informing guests that All Product is For Donation “Don’t Take” so that show attendees, other exhibitors and even show workers didn’t help themselves to some samples.

It’s that kind of understanding that was so impressive at this particular show, my personal 12th show that I’ve attended over the years. United and FMI did an excellent job of notifying the exhibitors as to the need for donations as well as provided organized communication tools for vendors to use to let the food bank know that their food was indeed for donation. One exhibitor named Mike Beausang was with Sunkist/Jelly Belly Candy Company and I caught him loading items from the Sunkist display directly into the food bank totes. I asked him what he was doing and his response was simple but impactful, “there are many folks out there who can use these donations”. Naturally, I snapped his photo.

As for the volunteers, how can we thank enough the people who serve to assist the food banks across the country without compensation? They are caring individuals who want to help, perhaps make a difference; one of the most sought after desires of most in the workforce these days. Imagine that, money doesn’t even top the list. Some will never personally see the end recipient of food that they collect. They only know that agencies across the country (about 60,000 of them) need food to assist American’s with hunger issues. These volunteers worked tirelessly collected 112,000 pounds of food to assist their neighbors in Las Vegas.
As we all “think greener”, it is certainly a wonderful feeling knowing that display food at trade shows is going to good use. Thank you United, FMI and the Produce Marketing Association for continued support of helping the hungry. It is great that our need to market goods to buyers across the U.S. is also used to support less fortunate American’s right here at home. Thank you to all that were involved in making this each and every year. It’s the right thing to do.