Perdue Foundation Grant Supports Campaign to Build New Eastern Shore Public Library in Rural Virginia
NEWS RELEASE—For Immediate Release
Contact: Cara Burton, Library Director
757-787-2241, cburton@espl.lib.va.us
Photo (left to right): Dr. Arthur Fournier, ESPL Foundation Chairman Grants and Corporate Giving Committee; Tamra Langford, Perdue Business Unit Lead; Bel Holden, Perdue Complex Human Resources Manager; Fitz Godwin, ESPL Foundation Capital Campaign Co-Chairman; Cara Burton, Director of Eastern Shore Public Library System
ACCOMAC, VA. (Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016) – The Eastern Shore Public Library Foundation recently received a $20,000 grant from The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation to support the library’s new building in Parksley, Va. The Perdue Foundation grant will help fund, in part, interactive components in a new children’s room.
“At Perdue, we’re committed to enhancing the quality of life in the communities in which we live and work,” said Kevin Dennis, director of Perdue operations in Accomac. “The Eastern Shore Public Library has been an important part of the Accomac community for nearly 60 years, and we’re proud to lend our support through this grant to provide a state-of-the art facility for all Eastern Shore of Virginia residents, including our associates and their families.”
Currently, more than 200 volunteers are helping the ESPL Foundation, the 501(c)3 non-profit, conduct fund raising for the new building. The Perdue Foundation grant is part of the corporate giving in combination with state, local government, and individual support needed for the $5 million project.
“The new regional public library in Parksley will support the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia’s opportunity to create economic growth and expand educational resources,” said Dr. Arthur Fournier, chairman of the Grant and Corporate Giving Committee at a recent capital campaign meeting. “Literacy and workforce development programs are being planned in collaboration with the Eastern Shore Literacy Coalition, Eastern Shore Community College, Healthy Communities Coalition and other area organizations.”
The new 18,000-square-foot library will house computers for online training, job certification and job applications. It will also feature a large group instruction room for training and classes, small group meeting rooms to provide tutoring for English as a second language learners, as well as space for webinars, distance learning resources, and study spaces.
Individuals and businesses continue to support the Eastern Shore Public Library Foundation’s capital campaign with tax-deductible donations. For more information, call the Fundraising Office at (757) 787-2500 or visit online at www.shorelibrary.com. Donations can be mailed to: ESPL Foundation, PO Box 554, Accomac, Va. 23301.
About The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.®
About Perdue Farms
We’re a third-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
We focus on continuously improving everything we do, constantly learning, and sharing those insights across different production methods. That innovative approach is driving change throughout the company and onto farms. This continuous advancement is leading us toward our vision of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.
The PERDUE® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. As we approach our 100th anniversary in 2020, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. We’ve increased our support for the family farm by creating new markets, including specialty crops. Through agricultural services, we give farmers more options for the acre, including conversion to organic production and products and services that increase the sustainability of conventional agriculture. Learn more at www.perduefarms.com.