New England Produce Council, Inc. (NEPC) held a dinner meeting at the Greater Boston Food Bank on Thurs. March 14th. The event was sponsored by long-time NEPC sponsor, Dole. The day began with a volunteer group of NEPC members sorting and packing healthy food items for member agencies in eastern Massachusetts followed by Anthony Sattler, SVP of C& S Wholesale and NEPC President, welcoming the group and sharing exciting NEPC updates for this year including the 20th year anniversary celebration of the NEPC Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo set for Sept. 19th. “NEPC is committed to supporting hunger relief efforts” stated, Anthony Sattler. The dinner meeting continued with a great presentation by Chris Hill, Senior Director Sales, Northeast & Canada Dole Fresh Vegetables. The evening concluded with a delicious dinner and a lot of socializing. This event was attended by many retailers, vendors and foodservice representatives.
Left to right: Rob Russo (Dole), Cheryl Schondek (Greater Boston Food Bank), Anthony Sattler (NEPC/C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.) and Chris Hill (Dole)
Three major points highlighted in Chris Hill’s presentation included: Dole’s new alliance with Total Produce (Dublin Based Company) and Safeway Foods (Vineland NJ). He was happy to announce David Murdock continues to lead the company after 45 years. The second point was Dole’s partnership with Disney and third, the recent romaine issues that have led Dole to find new solutions to improve instances like this as it relates to the overall business of leafy greens, the Council said. “The experience at the Food Bank was awesome and can really make one think about how blessed we are and how all of us can help reach out to those in need more often than we do to make a difference. Very impressed with the staff and level of enthusiasm across all GBFB team members,” states Chris Hill.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation by Chris Hill on behalf of Dole and the New England Produce Council, Inc. of a $3,000.00 donation to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Cheryl Schondek, Senior Vice President, was on hand to graciously receive this donation. Cheryl spoke about food insecurity and thanked the Dole, NEPC and entire Produce Organization for their support of the mission to end hunger. “The data is alarming- 1 in 10 residents in eastern Massachusetts is food insecure, they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. 1 in 8 is a child. With your ongoing support, we can change that staggering statistic. Last year GBFB distributed over 62 million pounds of healthy food to 530-member agencies in 190 cities and towns. Over 35 percent is fresh produce. We can’t do that without this organization.”
Left to right - front row: Laura Sulllivan (NEPC), Bonnie Lundblad (Sunny Valley International), Bob VonRohr (Sunny Valley International), Rob Russo (Dole); Left to right - back row: Alden Guptill (DiSilva Fruit), Scott Maher (Roche Bros.), Tom Murray (Roche Bros.), Marc Bonneau (Hannaford), Greg Kosofsky (Always Fresh) and Janice Stallone (Decas Farms)
The New England Produce Council, Inc. and Dole have been partnering for over 5 years hosting this dinner event at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Over the last 5 years, NEPC and Dole have donated close to $30k in donations in addition to volunteer groups working at the GBFB. “We look forward to this special meeting every year and we hope to continue our partnership with Dole and the Greater Boston Food Bank”, states Laura Sullivan, NEPC Executive Director.
For more information:
Laura Sullivan
New England Produce Council, Inc.
Ph: +1 (781) 273-0444
nepc2@rcn.com
www.newenglandproducecouncil.com