Communities
Investing in Positive Social Change
Hometown Strong
In 2020, Pilgrim’s U.S. launched Hometown Strong, a $20 million initiative to bring strength and stability to the communities where we live and work. Our facility management teams have been working with local leaders and organizations to determine how the funds can best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs.
“The Hometown Strong initiative allows us to invest in our communities in lasting and meaningful ways so that we’re able to positively impact our team members, their families and our neighbors,” said Fabio Sandri, Pilgrim’s CEO.
Projects include donating books and computers to underserved children, constructing warehouses for food pantries, funding high school agriculture programs, as well as developing land for playgrounds and community gardens.
To date, Pilgrim’s has invested in over 100 Hometown Strong projects with more initiatives to come:
$15MM+
invested in our communities
100+
projects
Better Futures
As part of our Hometown Strong initiative, Pilgrim’s U.S. is building the largest free college tuition program in rural America—Better Futures. Our team members and their child dependents have the opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams for associate degrees and trade certificates at community and technical colleges—tuition free.
We recognize and believe in the transformative power of higher education and the opportunities that come from education, coursework and technical skill training.
Better Futures removes a major financial barrier to college attendance and stands to become the largest free college tuition program in rural America. Pilgrim’s advisors will also help team members—many from first-generation American families—navigate the application process, which can be a deterrence to people applying to college for the first time.
The Better Futures program provides meaningful investments in the futures of our team members, their families and our communities. At the end of 2021, more than 370 participants had signed up for the program.
Click here to learn more about the Better Futures initiative.
370+
program sign-ups
Pilgrim's Tomorrow Fund
In 2019, Pilgrim’s U.S. launched the Tomorrow Fund, a scholarship program to support the collegiate pursuits of our team members and their direct dependents. Our vision is to become the best and most respected company in our industry, creating the opportunity of a better future for our team members. In line with this pursuit, we established the Tomorrow Fund to help our team members achieve their dreams and create a better future for themselves and their families through education. Every year, an eligible student from each of our 30 processing facilities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, plus our corporate office, will be awarded a full-ride scholarship to an eligible university of their choice. Our goal is to invest $2 million in the Pilgrim’s Tomorrow Fund scholarship recipients by 2025.
The Tomorrow Fund supports team members and direct dependents pursuing an initial bachelor’s degree, an accredited vocational-technical certification or an associate degree. Award recipients participate in a Pilgrim’s mentorship program and are extended internship offers for the summer at Pilgrim’s locations across the country.
At Pilgrim’s, we believe our people are our greatest strength. The Tomorrow Fund invests in the future, supports our local communities and improves the lives of our team members and their families through empowerment, education and personal growth. We awarded our inaugural class of Tomorrow Fund leaders with a full-ride scholarship in Fall 2020 and selected the second class of 30 awardees in 2021.
Click here to read more about the Tomorrow Fund.
