FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USDA Awards Mid-Atlantic Regional Co-Op (MARC) Box Contract
$3.7 Million Awarded to Distribute Produce Boxes for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 11, 2020) —
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC) has been awarded a $3.7 million contract with the United States Department of Agriculture to administer a portion of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program (CFAP). The MARC will be producing and distributing more than 160,000 fresh produce boxes to food banks across the Mid-Atlantic to support food-insecure individuals adversely affected by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The terms of the grant are May 15-June 30, 2020, though USDA has indicated they plan to continue programming through December of 2020.
The MARC, a program of Feeding Pennsylvania, has extensive experience sourcing and transporting fresh produce for its member food banks. Weeks before the USDA announced CFAP, the MARC had already established a program, producing 20 lb. mixed produce boxes to better support the COVID-19 response. “The MARC aims to support our member food banks by coordinating the sourcing and logistics of affordable fresh produce,” said James DeMarsh, director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative. “COVID-19 presented a lot of challenges for food banks in distributing bulk produce. Thanks to a grant from Feeding America, we quickly pivoted to building pre-packed mixed produce boxes to enable fast, efficient, and low-touch distribution. The new USDA program will give us the opportunity to expand our capacity to reach more families in need,” said DeMarsh.
Through CFAP, the USDA will partner with farmers, ranchers, specialty crop producers, food processors, distributors, and non-profit organizations to ensure that all Americans have access to the fresh and wholesome food they need during the COVID-19 national emergency. This program is specifically designed to help distributors, like the MARC, package family-sized boxes with fresh produce, dairy and meat products, all produced in the United States, and transport them to non-profits and food banks across their designated territory.
“Feeding Pennsylvania is incredibly proud of the MARC and their successful application,” said Jane Clements-Smith, executive director of Feeding Pennsylvania. “Our food banks have faced many challenges throughout the COVID-19 crisis as we have seen need increasing due to temporary unemployment. It is essential that we distribute more food to more people in need while adhering to CDC guidelines, and these produce boxes are the perfect solution for continuing to offer fresh produce while minimizing risk for our employees, volunteers, and most importantly, the people we serve.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Jane Clements-Smith, Executive Director
Feeding Pennsylvania
P: 570-867-3044 | E: Jclemsmith@feedingpa.org
www.feedingpa.org
James DeMarsh, Director
Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative
P: 267-535-0487 | E: jdemarsh@feedingpa.org
www.feedingpa.org/marc
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About Feeding Pennsylvania:
Feeding Pennsylvania is a collaborative effort of nine Feeding America-affiliated food banks in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The mission of Feeding Pennsylvania is to promote and aid our member food banks in securing food and other resources to reduce hunger and food insecurity in our communities and across Pennsylvania and to provide a shared voice on the issues of hunger and food access within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information about Feeding Pennsylvania, please visit www.feedingpa.org, connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingPennsylvania, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FeedingPA.
About Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative:
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), a program of Feeding PA, procures and distributes fresh produce to its member food banks throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. We connect growers, shippers, packers, wholesalers, and distributors of fresh produce with opportunities in our hunger relief network. The MARC serves over 26 food banks with weekly and sometimes daily deliveries of fresh produce products to support the food banks in supplying nutritious food to populations in need. For more information about the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), please visit https://feedingpa.org/marc/.
