JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars players kicked off the team's hunger relief efforts this season with Feeding Northeast Florida, as members of the Jaguars offensive line, teammates and coaches came together, in partnership with Publix, Pepsi, Frito-Lay and the Jaguars Foundation for the team's annual Thanksgiving "Turkey Time with the O-Line." They were joined by hunger relief supporting partners Stahl-Meyer and Pajcic and Pajcic Law Firm.
Partners gathered in Lot J at TIAA Bank Field along with family members of players, Jaguars Alumnus Fred Taylor, members of The ROAR, Jaxson de Ville and community volunteers. Head Coach Urban Meyer and offensive linemen Andrew Norwell, Tyler Shatley, Jawaan Taylor, KC McDermott and Ben Bartch and CB Brandon Rusnak, RB James Robinson LB Myles Jack, WR Laquon Treadwell, LS Ross Matiscik, P Logan Cooke DL Adam Gotsis and WR Jamal Agnew supported the effort with their donations of turkeys. Publix provided fresh produce and other groceries, and PepsiCo provided other items to 600 families, seniors and veterans.
"Feeding Northeast Florida provides essential meals to thousands of First Coast families all year long, and the Jaguars are honored to participate with our players, coaches, Publix, PepsiCo and other partners in getting what is needed into the hands of those who need it most during the holidays," said Jaguars President Mark Lamping. "Jacksonville is our home, and we believe in taking care of our own, which must begin with meeting the needs of those who struggle to put food on the table."
Chris Norberg, community relations manager at Publix, said, "As a food retailer, Publix takes pride in its ability to give back to the communities we serve and help alleviate hunger. That's why Publix has donated millions of pounds of food to local food banks and why our associates have worked countless volunteer hours with these organizations over the years. Publix is proud to have been named an inaugural Feeding America Visionary Partner in 2015."
"As part of Pepsi's year-around hunger relief effort, we are proud to help provide meals to those in need in the Jacksonville community this holiday season," said Floyd Ferguste, Vice President of Retail at Pepsi Beverages North America.
"Food is an essential need for everyone every day. We at Feeding Northeast Florida work diligently year-round to fight hunger here in our backyard. The holidays bring food to the forefront of our minds, and we couldn't be more excited to see our community come together to serve those in need," said Susan King, President and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida. "This partnership with the Jaguars Foundation, Publix and PepsiCo to distribute food to those in-need brings us such joy each year and we know it brings joy to the families who receive it, knowing they will have a complete meal to gather their families around this Thanksgiving."
The 2021 hunger relief initiative will continue through support of Feeding Northeast Florida's Corner Market mobile food pantry in Jacksonville, prioritizing communities with the highest rates of food insecurity.
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About Publix
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 225,000 associates, currently operates 1,288 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 24 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company's website, corporate.publix.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
About Feeding Northeast Florida
Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL) is the region's largest non-profit food bank and hunger relief network. FNEFL provides nutritious foods and other essential goods to those in-need and strives to improve the quality of life for people living in northeast Florida by addressing food insecurity, poverty and poor health. Alongside our network of food distribution, agency and community partners, the Food Bank provides food resources and hope to help the more than 1 in 7 people living in our eight-county service area (Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. John's) who struggle to feed themselves and their families. Feeding Northeast Florida works daily to find solutions to address the issues of food insecurity and poverty through awareness, advocacy, education and action in ways that promote dignity, respect and empowerment. For more information, visit www.feedingnefl.org.
