VIBURNUM, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2016) – According to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, more than 64,000 local residents are at risk of hunger and 21,100 children are unsure of where they’ll get their next meal. In order to help alleviate food shortages in the local area, The Doe Run Company’s (Doe Run) Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling (SEMO) Division employees collected food items for the local food bank and the Resource Recycling facility donated funds to support area backpack programs.

“Food insecurity is a concern in southeast Missouri, and many families depend on help from area charities to provide food assistance,” said Steve Batts, vice president – Southeast Missouri Operations. “Our employees live and work in these communities, so it’s important to all of us to make a positive impact, and one way we can do that is to try to lessen hunger in the region.”

Doe Run’s SEMO Division employees donated more than 8,800 food and non-perishable items to three organizations: the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, which helps provide food for approximately 50,000 individuals each month through hunger relief programs; the A+ Consumer Directed Services, an in-home personal care company located in Salem; and to Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence in Viburnum.

In addition, Doe Run’s Resource Recycling facility presented $2,500 to five local schools to support backpack programs that benefit students in grades K-6 who have special economic needs. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, 21.1 percent of children in Missouri were living in poverty in 2014, with an annual income below $24,418 for the average family of four. Doe Run donations will help Bunker Elementary, Lesterville Elementary, Salem Elementary, Steelville Elementary and Viburnum Elementary provide much-needed school supplies, clothing, food and hygiene items for students and their families.

“Access to good nutrition and adequate supplies can make an important difference in the success of school children,” said Rhonda Reed, executive secretary at the Resource Recycling facility. “We have supported backpack programs for the last five years because we believe in their goal to aid families in our community by relieving the constraints they may face in providing those items. It’s one way we can support the future generations of our community.”

Doe Run’s Resource Recycling facility also donated $500 to the Shriners Hospital Transportation Fund, which helps transport children with medical needs to the hospital for treatment.

In total, Doe Run contributed more than $197,000 to its communities in 2015 through various donations and scholarships.

About The Doe Run Company
Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company and a global provider of lead, copper and zinc concentrates. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates one of the world’s largest, single-site lead recycling centers, located in Boss, Mo. The Doe Run Company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services necessary to provide power, protection and convenience. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com and sustainability.doerun.com.