Apr. 20, 2016
Contribution funds 5,695 meals for Sam E. Hill Preschool students
Steel recycler Gerdau recently contributed funds to sponsor Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee’s Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool in Lonsdale.
“Because of Gerdau, we can provide 5,695 meals to children in need by giving them backpacks filled with kid-friendly foods for an entire school year,” said Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest. “In so many cases, our Food for Kids program is the only food some children will have over an entire weekend, while for others it provides a meal that would otherwise have been skipped.”
Backpacks come filled with healthful, kid-friendly fare for all three daily meals as well as snacks. Among the items included are instant breakfast, granola bars, cereal bars, oatmeal, peanut butter crackers, beef ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, mixed veggie cups, macaroni and cheese, sunflower seeds, raisins, pudding cups, mandarin oranges, and even toothbrushes.
Gerdau Vice President and General Manager Johnny Miller said the company welcomes the opportunity to support the children of Lonsdale. This contribution covers the current school year.
“We are so excited for the opportunity to sponsor the Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool,” Miller said. “In addition to providing much-needed food, the program offers children in difficult situations the comfort that comes from knowing there are people out there that truly care about them – something most kids take for granted, but something not all children get to experience.”
Schools participating in Food for Kids say that the program leads to improved self-esteem, behavior and concentration among the children.
The donation supports Gerdau’s robust social responsibility program that focuses on providing community support in the locations where it operates.
Steel recycler Gerdau celebrates its school year-long sponsorship of the Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool on April 20, 2016, coordinated by Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. During the school year, children are provided backpacks of healthful, kid-friendly fare to take home each weekend. Pictured from left: Gerdau representatives Gwen Reichel, Damien Rose, Ron Fritz, Steve Nash and Vice President and General Manager Johnny Miller; Second Harvest Food Bank donor relations coordinator Rachael Ellis; and Sam E. Hill Principal Wendy Laman and social worker Deanna Gnage.
About Gerdau
Gerdau is the leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special long steel in the world. It has over 45,000 employees and industrial operations in 14 countries with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, which together represent an installed capacity of over 25 million metric tons of steel per year. It is the largest recycler in Latin America and around the world it transforms millions of metric tons of scrap into steel every year. Gerdau is listed on the stock exchanges of São Paulo, New York, and Madrid and has around 140,000 shareholders.
For more information, visit http://www.gerdau.com/northamerica.
