Long known for its Christian philosophy of doing unto others, Shuman Produce in Reidsville, GA, shares the spirit of Christmas through holiday programs as well as year-round assistance to those in need.
Susannah Lanier, marketing coordinator for the family-owned Vidalia onion operation, said late 2016 is bustling with charitable activities. Realsweet.com describes the special holiday giving campaign this year in which “Shuman Produce has pledged to donate one pound of RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions to FarmShare Florida for every like, comment or share related to our #ShareTheSweetSpirit posts during the month of December.”
The blog post reminds visitors to “be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to join the effort in providing sweet onions to local families in need!”
Of course Shuman Produce’ President John Shuman is well known for creating Produce for Kids nearly 15 years ago. The program, which advocates for “healthier generation through cause marketing campaigns that provide easy, fun and inspiring recipes,” has over the years donated more than $6 million to charities that benefit children and families across the country. “The current primary charity is Feeding America… and as Produce for Kids’ parent company, we make an annual contribute to its efforts through our retailer partnerships. This month, Produce for Kids is carrying out its own Holiday Meal Drive through social media.”
Also, the Brokenhearted Inshore Slam, a local fishing tournament that assists families in need at Christmas, was started by a group that includes a Shuman employee. “The fish caught during the tournament are donated to a local church. This year over $15,000 was raised through participation in this event and donations from community members,” the site says.
While Christmastime sharing brings smiles both to those giving and those receiving, Shuman Produce keeps that spirit alive all year long with multiple initiatives. The website explains that the company assists “various food bank organizations through trade show food donation. After each produce industry tradeshow we attend, a local food bank receives the entire remaining product from all exhibitors. For example, after the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in October, over 258,000 pounds of produce was donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Other organizations that receive donations are Society of St. Andrew and City Harvest.”
The website says, “Community giving is one of our foundational pillars that we take as serious as growing our RealSweet® brand sweet onion business. Here at Shuman Produce, we pledge to give back throughout the year and want to share with you some of the organizations that are near and dear to our hearts that we help year after year.”
Shuman Produce sponsors the Paul Anderson Bike Ride
Another of Shuman’s focal points is the Paul Anderson Youth Home, which provides shelter and care for troubled youth. Located in Vidalia, the facility provides the young men “a Christian home environment to rebuild their lives through recovery, restoration and redemption.” And each summer, “Shuman Produce sponsors the Paul Anderson Bike Ride, the largest fundraising effort for the Paul Anderson Youth Home. For this ride, a group of boys from the home is chosen to train and then complete a bike ride across the state of Georgia. They travel 500-plus miles and are given the opportunity to experience something they never dreamed possible. Each of the young men leads a day of the journey through prayer and devotion.”
Fall is the traditional season for Breast Cancer Awareness, and “Shuman Produce goes Pink every October” for the cause. “All of our bag and bin packaging transitions from our traditional red to pink for the month. Shuman Produce also makes an annual contribution of $10,000 to Breast Cancer Awareness organizations,” the website explains.
There is also the ongoing Reidsville United Methodist Church Food Pantry, and Shuman employees join in with the weekly food truck delivery to the church food pantry. “This local mission serves over 125 families in need each week,” the website blog says.
“Shuman Produce also helps to support various local organizations where we live in Southeast Georgia. This includes local scholarships, charity golf tournaments, church mission and outreach programs, school system programs and sports and outdoor recreation events.”
Read more about Shuman’s “Season of Giving” http://www.realsweet.com/tis-season-giving/
