The Defeat Hunger Campaign, part PROCESS EXPO 2015, provided more than 325,000 meals for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, according to the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA), the show’s organizer. This represents the largest food and fund donation ever made by a trade show to the depository.

Launched in 2013, the Defeat Hunger Campaign was created to address food insecurity in the greater Cook County area and helps the more than 812,000 residents the depository serves each year. This year’s campaign kicked off in April with a donation of $75,000 from the FPSA Foundation; a variety of partners, including FPSA members, local food processors, PROCESS EXPO exhibitors, GRAPH EXPO and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, joined in the effort. Throughout PROCESS EXPO, participants were encouraged to contribute to the virtual food drive.

“The Greater Chicago Food Depository is an amazing organization that plays an integral role in the Chicago community,” says Scott Scriven, chairman of the FPSA Foundation. “Considering Chicago is the home of PROCESS EXPO, it is very important to FPSA, our members and the industry that we give back to the community that hosts our trade show.”

With a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other programs, the food depository makes a daily impact across the Cook County area. Last year, it distributed 68 million pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 155,000 meals every day, according to FPSA.

“FPSA and PROCESS EXPO are tremendous partners to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and the Defeat Hunger campaign is a strong statement from the food manufacturing industry that no man, woman and child should go hungry,” says Kate Maehr, Food Depository executive director and CEO. “We are thrilled by the remarkable results of this campaign and look forward to building our partnership for years to come.”

 More information on the Defeat Hunger campaign can be found at www.fpsa.org.