February 1, 2023
I want to take this opportunity to summarize Peanut Proud’s relief efforts in 2022, made possible by the help of many partners and generous donors.
Peanut Proud had a record year with regards to the number of jars of peanut butter delivered for humanitarian and disaster relief. In total, 617,388 jars were delivered to relief agencies in 8 different states in the U.S. and to Haiti, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The first delivery of the year, in January, totaling 30,240 jars, was to Haiti in response to the earthquake that hit the country in 2021. Peanut Proud worked with World of Giving and Food for the Poor to coordinate delivery and distribution of the peanut butter. World of Giving also made it possible to deliver 66,240 jars to Ukraine and Moldova in an effort to support Ukrainian refugees and displaced citizens from the war with Russia.
Peanut Proud also worked with the South Carolina Peanut Board (18,720 jars), Virginia Peanut Growers (10,080 jars), Alabama Peanut Producers (18,960 jars), North Carolina Peanut Growers (10,080 jars), Georgia Peanut Commission (78,000 jars), Florida Peanut Producers (17,280 jars), Florida Peanut Federation (31,608 jars), Arkansas Peanut Growers (30,240 jars), National Peanut Buying Point Association (14,400 jars), National Peanut Board (10,080 jars) and Texas Peanut Producers (23,040 jars) to deliver peanut butter in response to both natural disaster and for more systemic hunger relief in the United States.
Smaller, local agencies, some of which have worked with Peanut Proud for over ten years, also participated in 2022. These included Jesus and Jams (Homerville, Georgia), Methodist Church of Cairo, Georgia, the Miller County (Georgia) Food Bank, First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida, Peanut Butter and Jesus (Tifton, Georgia), Lagrange (Georgia) Food Bank and the Blakely (Georgia) Food Bank. A total of 43,770 jars were delivered to these local organizations.
8,640 jars were sent to Kentucky in response to flooding and 60,840 jars were sent to southwest Florida in response to Hurricane Ian.
Birdsong Peanuts, Williston Peanuts and the American Peanut Shellers Association made significant donations to Peanut Proud in 2022.
Peanut Proud also started new partnerships with large, regional foodbanks. These included Feeding the Valley (Midland, Georgia), Foodbank of Northeast Arkansas (Jonesboro, Arkansas), Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia (Savannah, Georgia), Feeding the Gulf Coast (Mobile, Alabama), Second Harvest of Valdosta, Georgia, Foodbank of North Alabama (Huntsville, Alabama), Harry Chapin Foodbank of Northwest Florida (Ft. Myers, Florida) and the Atlanta Community Foodbank. These partnerships should allow Peanut Proud to deliver more peanut butter to more people in need.
Peanut Proud is still a grass roots organization staffed only by volunteers. Because of this, almost all donated money goes to the purchase and delivery of peanut butter.
Once again, thanks for all of your support.
Best Regards,
Gregg Grimsley
President, Peanut Proud, Inc.
