From Sugar to Sweet Corn: Feeding Our Communities

With their friends and neighbors facing job loss and uncertainty due to COVID-19, U.S. Sugar provided 1,000 crates of green beans as well as fresh Florida orange juice to churches, healthcare providers, and food banks across South Florida. U.S. Sugar isn’t alone in its efforts to keep the community fed by donating truckloads of food.

Across America, sugar growers and producers are stepping up to help sustain local families as economic hardship has increased demands for assistance.

The sugar industry is providing donations to food pantries, ensuring children have access to food programs with the absence of school-based meals and helping feed the elderly who depend on community-based food programs.

The iconic Domino Sugar refinery in Baltimore, Maryland, delivered sugar to Catholic Charities of Baltimore, which was distributed to four food pantries in the city and will be used at Our Daily Bread Employment Center to provide individuals with a daily hot meal.

The Domino Sugar refineries in Chalmette, Louisiana and Yonkers, New York each donated granulated sugar to food banks to be distributed to families in the area.

C&H Sugar in California donated sugar to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, which is working to provide a consistent supply of food to those it serves while also meeting a new and growing need for nourishing meals in the community.

These company efforts supplement the generous donations provided by individual sugar farmers across the country.

As the harm inflicted by COVID-19 on their neighbors grew, South Florida cane farmer Paul Orsenigo and business partner David Basore of Grower’s Management Inc. increased their monthly donation of sweet corn, lettuce and fresh cabbage to a Feed the Hungry food bank in Palm Beach County. Their donations help the food bank feed more than 3,000-5,000 families every day.

Orsenigo and Basore have also donated vegetables to the Place of Hope in Palm Beach Gardens, which supports more than 300 foster children and at-risk youth.

“The need for food has increased dramatically in recent weeks,” Orsenigo said. “We are thankful that we have the opportunity to support those in need by providing healthy and nutritious Glades-grown vegetables to local charities.”

At the American Sugar Alliance, we are grateful to have the opportunity to support the humble and hardworking farmers and workers who make up the American sugar industry. Thank you for the essential work that you continue to perform, and the love and compassion you have displayed for your friends and neighbors during this exceptionally difficult time.