Darn Tough donations equal 1 million meals to the Vermont Foodbank

Dec. 3, 2021  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Darn Tough employees help distribute meals for families at the Vermont Foodbank. Photo courtesy Darn Tough

Darn Tough Vermont this week reported that it reached a donation amount to the Vermont Foodbank equivalent to the value of one million meals.

The company said it started off in 2003 by donating turkeys to feed the community around the holidays. That continued until 2017 when Darn Tough stepped up its efforts to offer 100% of its  online proceeds from Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday following Thanksgiving Day) to the Vermont Foodbank. 

Add in other days of giving during the year and the Northfield-based sock manufacturer says its contributions have now spanned 19 years and added up to the equivalent of 1 million meals. 

When asked to elaborate, a company spokesman said he could not divulge the dollar amount. 

The milestone comes as demand for the Foodbank’s supplies and services to local communities across the state have been in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit estimates that as many as one in three Vermont residents experiences food insecurity. 

“This pandemic has demanded that we all step up to fight food insecurity – whether that’s by reaching out for help when we need it or offering assistance when we can. Darn Tough has been stepping up for years, and we’re so grateful for their partnership,” said Allison Mindel, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Vermont Foodbank.

Darn Tough Vermont President and CEO Ric Cabot said the company has no plans of letting up on its support for the vital organization. “Assisting our neighbors and strengthening our community here in Vermont is something that we take seriously every day,” he said. “Our relationship with the Vermont Foodbank is only strengthening, and reaching this 1 million meals donated milestone is a very rewarding preview of what’s to come.”

The Vermont Foodbank is the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing food to those experiencing hunger through a network of more than 300 community partners including food shelves, senior centers, after-school programs, schools and hospitals.

Darn Tough’s operations are based in Northfield with a manufacturing and distribution facility in Waterbury.