SeaShare Partnerships Boost Donation

A donation of 170,000 servings of pulled salmon barbeque has been delivered to food banks in Washington D.C. and Virginia, thanks to the partnership of SeaShare with two major seafood firms.

Jim Harmon, executive director of SeaShare, on Bainbridge Island, Washington, said that the non-profit dedicated to bringing seafood to food banks partnered with High Liner Foods in Newport News, Virginia, and US Foods of Rosemont, Illinois, to put the donation together.

High Liner Foods, one of the nation’s largest seafood companies, recently approached SeaShare about donating salmon for hunger relief, and SeaShare quickly identified food banks close to High Liner’s Newport News facility ready to accept such a large volume of seafood. US Foods, a major food service distribution company, provided the freight to the Capitol Area Food Bank in Washington DC, and Lorton, Virginia, and the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank in Hampton, Virginia.

The donated pulled salmon is similar to pulled pork, but with all the nutritional benefits of seafood, including high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. It is easy to cook, comes frozen, and can be steamed or boiled in the package.

“The ease of preparation is important to many families who struggle with hunger, juggling jobs and kids,” Harmon said. “Finding the time to cook healthy meals can be a big challenge for food bank clients. This is a great way to get high quality protein that is easy to prepare, in homes that would otherwise go without.”

The donation was made on behalf of the National Fisheries Institute’s Future Leaders program, of which staff at High Liner Foods and US Foods are members.

SeaShare, founded in 1994, is the only non-profit in the United States dedicated to bringing seafood to food banks. To date SeaShare has donated over 210 million servings of seafood to American food banks.