MT. STERLING, Ill.— Dot Foods, Inc., the nation's largest food industry redistributor, held its first-ever Giving Festival on Thursday, June 1, at the Mt. Sterling distribution center. More than 30 West Central Illinois non-profit organizations showcased their organizations' missions.
Dot Foods also recognized its employees for their dedication to giving back to their community and announced the 2022 Volunteer of the Year winner and finalists. The new event was co-sponsored by Dot's Mt. Sterling charitable committee and the company's Teaming with Local Charities (TLC) volunteer program which is celebrating its 15-year anniversary this year. Dot's charitable group and TLC reach into 11 West Central Illinois counties to volunteer and provide grants and food donations.
At the Giving Festival, each attending non-profit organization received a surprise grant from Dot Foods as a thank you for their ongoing partnership. A total of $45,000 in grants were awarded. Non-profits that participated in the event included the United Way, the American Red Cross, the Alzheimer's Association, various school districts, and multiple food pantries, including the Central Illinois Food Bank and the new Beardstown Food Pantry.
"Supporting the community was an integral part of Dot Foods co-founders Robert and Dorothy Tracy's lives, and volunteerism is a part of Dot Foods' culture," said Jessica Mock, director of the TLC program. "We are always looking for ways to encourage employees to volunteer – and always looking for organizations that could use Dot's support through grants, donations, and volunteerism. The giving festival allows us to connect some of the amazing groups doing important work in our community with our incredible employees. And we're thrilled to announce and honor our Volunteer of the Year at this new event this year."
Dot Foods named Becky Long, from Camp Point, Illinois, as the 2022 Volunteer of the Year winner. As part of the program, Dot Foods awarded her a $1,000 donation to the charity of her choice, which she directed to St. Mary's in Mt. Sterling to be used in support of veteran memorials at their cemetery. In addition, Dot Foods will also send Long on a celebratory vacation at RT'S Cove, Dot Foods' private resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
Long, who works at the Dot Foods headquarters in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, has worked there for 33 years. She is currently a senior team leader on Dot's single case fulfillment team. Long has given her time to many groups over the years; when she was young, her brother died in Vietnam, and she is now the creator and keeper of the St. Mary's and the Mt. Sterling City Cemetery database of veterans' markers.
"Becky has volunteered a total of 484 hours through Dot's TLC Program, and her passion for volunteerism is second to none," said Mock. "Her dedication is visible across each of our programs, from food pantries to schools, and also supporting the local cemeteries in her community. Becky's volunteer spirit precedes her in all she does, inspiring others to get involved in their communities by supporting local charities."
Overall, over 180 Dot Foods employees at the Mt. Sterling, Burley, Idaho, and St. Louis, Missouri locations, volunteered for a combined 2,810 hours in 2022 as part of Dot Foods TLC program. In addition, employees donated $23,000 to local charity organizations via employee program incentives.
The other 2022 Volunteer of the Year finalists are Tana Parsano, Jennifer Knapp, Brandon Scranton, Amber Elliot, Daniel Koch, Stacey Volk, Patty Barchak, Lora Decker, and Celia Eicken.
In 2022 Dot Charitable made $11.2 million in donations of money and product in the communities the company calls home across the U.S. and Canada. The Mt. Sterling charitable committee donated $1.4 million to local groups in 2022. Groups interested in partnering with Dot Foods can share more about their needs and upcoming projects here.
About Dot Foods and Dot Transportation
Dot Foods, Inc. carries 125,000 products from 1,020 food industry manufacturers making it the largest food industry redistributor in North America. Through Dot Transportation, Inc., an affiliate of Dot Foods, the company distributes foodservice, convenience, retail, and vending products to distributors in all 50 states and more than 55 countries. Dot Foods operates 12 U. S. distribution centers, which are located in Bullhead City, Arizona; Modesto, California; Bear, Delaware; Vidalia, Georgia; Burley, Idaho; Mt. Sterling, Illinois; University Park, Illinois; Cambridge City, Indiana; Williamsport, Maryland; Liverpool, New York; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Dyersburg, Tennessee. Dot's 13th U.S. location will be located in Manchester, Tennessee. Dot Foods' Canadian operations are located in Toronto, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. A new Dot Foods Canada distribution center is currently under construction in Ingersoll, Canada. For information, visit DotFoods.com.
Dot Foods and Dot Transportation are both looking to fill several positions for full and part-time drivers and warehouse personnel at all U.S. locations. To learn more about careers at Dot Foods visit Careers.DotFoods.com and follow @DotFoodsCareers. For more on opportunities available with Dot Transportation, visit DriveForDTI.com.