‘Feed the need’: Mountaire’s Easter for Thousands event helps 3,000 families

By Glenn Rolfe
Posted 3/30/21

SELBYVILLE — Last summer, Roger Marino officially retired from Mountaire Farms after a distinguished 30-year career, serving mainly as the poultry company’s community liaison.

“But this,” said Mr. Marino on Tuesday, “has not retired!”

He was referring to the Easter for Thousands event, an offshoot program of the Thanksgiving for Thousands food-for-the-needy initiative Mr. Marino started more than two-and-a-half decades ago.

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‘Feed the need’: Mountaire’s Easter for Thousands event helps 3,000 families

Posted

SELBYVILLE — Last summer, Roger Marino officially retired from Mountaire Farms after a distinguished 30-year career, serving mainly as the poultry company’s community liaison.

“But this,” said Mr. Marino on Tuesday, “has not retired!”

He was referring to the Easter for Thousands event, an offshoot program of the Thanksgiving for Thousands food-for-the-needy initiative Mr. Marino started more than two-and-a-half decades ago.

Tuesday morning, Mountaire employees and a battalion of community volunteers teamed to pack 3,000 food boxes that were loaded into vehicles and onto trailers, destined for distribution by 53 nonprofits and churches to those identified in need across Delmarva.

Among the volunteers were John and Jane Taylor, a husband/wife tandem from Lewes. They were part of a platoon of contributors from Vietnam Veterans of America’s Sussex County chapter.

“It’s really an honor to help out. It really is,” said Ms. Taylor, who served in the Women’s Army Corps in Germany in 1974.

Mr. Taylor agreed with his wife.

“Oh, my gosh, when I told her about it, she said, ‘Oh, I want to go.’ So I got her signed up because she was a vet,” he said. “We’ve been looking forward to this for about two months, since we found out about it. It’s the first time doing it. It’s just to give back.”

As numbers go, Easter for Thousands dwarfed in comparison to the 26th annual Thanksgiving for Thousands, staged in November during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 10,000 food boxes were packed.

But need has not diminished.

“I think everybody here knows there is a lot of need in our community, across the Shore,” said Mountaire Farms President Phil Pylar. “Whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving or now our Easter for Thousands today, because of your efforts, we are going to help our fellow folks here on the Shore. You are going to have a positive impact in helping a family in need here in our community. I can’t thank you enough for being here.”

Mr. Marino was marking dual events Tuesday.

“Today is my birthday — 86 years old,” he said. “One of the great things in my life has been this program. You should all be very thankful for Mountaire because Mountaire was the forerunner of the food giveaways. Now, you’ve got it in schools. You’ve got it in churches — all over Delmarva — and we still can’t feed the need.”

Volunteers stationed along assembly lines boxed complete meals for families of four, featuring instant mashed potatoes, gravy, peas and carrots, corn, brownie mix and a plump Mountaire roaster chickens.

“Without the volunteers, without the support of our community, this event wouldn’t be possible,” said Zach Evans, Mountaire’s community relations manager, who succeeded Mr. Marino. “So we’re going to give families all across Delmarva the opportunity to have a warm Easter dinner.”

First in line for pickup was the Selbyville Community Food Pantry, which received 80 boxes.

Farther back was a truck from Millsboro-based Christian Storehouse, which was loaded with 90 boxes earmarked for its area. On board was Wayne Miller, the chairman of the storehouse’s board of directors.

“Mountaire has been a very good friend to the 19966 area through the whole pandemic,” Mr. Miller said. “They were making tons of chicken available to us to give to people that were out of work through the whole year.”

Mr. Marino, who was seriously injured in a fall shortly after the 2019 Thanksgiving for Thousands, recalled the program’s doubters in the beginning.

“Twenty-seven years ago, when we at Mountaire decided to do this, everybody — and I’m telling you, everybody — on Delmarva said to me and said to us, ‘You’re crazy. This is Delmarva. This is all farmers here. They don’t need food here. People don’t need food,’” he said. “Let me tell you something. Over those … 27 years now, … Mountaire has fed over a million people on Delmarva.”

Tuesday’s Easter for Thousands event marked Mr. Marino’s first appearance at a Mountaire packing event since his injury and rehabilitation. Mr. Pylar paid tribute to the man who made it all possible.

“Without Roger, this event never would have had the success we’ve seen. And if you think about it, Roger has had an impact on not only thousands but, literally, tens of thousands of people. So a big shoutout to him,” said Mr. Pylar.

COVID-19 protocols were followed at the distribution, including temperature checks, hand sanitizer, gloves and masks.

Volunteers were treated to breakfast, courtesy of the Millsboro Chick-fil-A, and free coffee from Starbucks in Millsboro.

After blowing out candles on his surprise birthday cake, Mr. Marino offered parting thoughts.

“So pat yourself on the back and thank you so much. God bless you all. This is the Easter holiday,” said Mr. Marino. “And I hope to see you next year.”

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