The Southeast Produce Council (SEPC), along with several produce companies, collected more than 95,000 pounds of produce for Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project (RAMP) to benefit Martin County, Kentucky. Rural Appalachia is home to some of the most impoverished people in the United States, and access to healthy food and economic opportunity in Martin County is scarce. Additionally, the county lacks access to federal and other assistance programs due to its isolation.
Through the SEPC’s continued partnership with the Society of St. Andrew, donations from the following companies were given to RAMP: DiMare Fresh, Jerue Truck, Brokers/Lakeland, Mack Farms, Nickey Gregory, North Bay Produce, Sbrocco International, Society of St. Andrew, Southern Valley, Walter P. Rawl & Sons and Wayne E. Bailey Co.
Additionally, the following SEPC members volunteered to host consolidation points for the Society of St. Andrew to pick up produce for easy transport to RAMP:
Mack Farms, Winter Haven, Florida
L&M Companies, Moultrie, Georgia
Southern Valley, Norman Park, Georgia
Nickey Gregory Company, Forest Park, Georgia
“We are so grateful to the produce industry for its support of our community outreach efforts,” said David Sherrod, SEPC executive director. “Thanks to their role and our partnership with the Society of St. Andrew, we are able to feed 700 underprivileged families in Rural Appalachia.”