It's a Wrap! How Dow Reinvents Engagement with the Houston Food Bank
Friday, October 27, 2017
By: Misty Robertson

Dow Packaging lends corporate support to Houston Food Bank with donations, products and volunteer time.

Corporate support is essential to ensure the Houston Food Bank effectively operates. Some partnerships are truly unique like the one that began in 2014 with Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. Their support comes in the form of donations of product, money, and volunteer time.
 
This year Dow has made significant donations of a stretch wrap machine, stretch film, zippered bags, and collapsible and wheeled bins. Additionally Dow engaged with many of their key customers to provide products that will help make the Food Bank operations more efficient and safe. These donations included:
 
- 12,000 heavy duty trash bags from All American Poly

- 2,300 rolls of colored stretch wrap from Hi-Tech Plastics

- Two stretch wrap machines - one through a $10,000 grant from Dow and the second from Highlight Industries

 - 624 rolls of hand wrap and 520 rolls of machine wrap film from The Sigma Plastics Group
 
All of these products are essential to getting food into the community. The high quality colored stretch wrap will be used to wrap pallets for certain programs like Backpack Buddy, Senior Box, and National School Lunch Program. The different wrap colors provide a visual method to organize pallets according to the specific program while enableing a smoother application with less waste.
 
The two stretch wrap machines will help the Food Bank better wrap large pallets for faster and safer distribution. Using the stretch wrap machine will minimize damage done to product during wrapping and shipping. Pallets wrapped by a machine are much cleaner and desirable for the over 600 agencies that we serve. We are also expecting a reduction in the amount of wrap used as the machines are much more efficient.
 
Dow volunteer events are also held throughout the year. They provide critical support and offer their employees the opportunity to create an impact in the community. In 2016 alone, Dow contributed volunteer hours, monetary donations and product donations equivalent to over 800,000 nutritious meals for the community.
 
“Dow continuously looks for opportunities to reinvent our engagement with the Houston Food Bank based on the organization’s key needs and how our products and relationships can benefit operations,” said Haley Lowry, Global Marketing Director for Value Chain who also represents Dow on the Houston Food Bank Hunger Relief Board. The Houston Food Bank is truly appreciative of this partnership!