NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, today announced several Thanksgiving initiatives to support Americans in need, including the donation of 10,000 turkeys and thousands of meals to help make celebrating the holidays possible for families nationwide.
Distributing turkeys across the nation to cities heavily impacted in 2020
Turkey distributions will begin on Friday, Nov. 13 in Lake Charles (La.) to assist hurricane victims and their families. The distributions will continue the following week on Friday, Nov. 20 in Houston (Texas), Los Angeles (Calif.) and Nashville (Tenn.), all of which have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 and various natural disasters. The CMA CGM Group will complete turkey distributions on Saturday, Nov. 21 in Norfolk (Va.), where CMA CGM’s U.S. headquarters is located. CMA CGM will also provide a refrigerated container to support the Marina Cartage turkey distribution in Chicago (Ill.), on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The entire CMA CGM Group committed to support Thanksgiving charitable initiatives across the U.S.
Turkeys donated in Lake Charles and Houston are being coordinated through CMA CGM Group subsidiary CEVA Logistics, who is also providing U.S. ground transportation for all of the distributions. American President Lines (APL), the Group subsidiary dedicated to serving the U.S. government and its military, is participating in the USO Turkeys for Troops program with the donation of food baskets as well as volunteering at the distribution on Thursday, Nov. 19.
CMA CGM’s strategic partnerships to donate Thanksgiving meals
The Group is also coordinating with various port partners during the week of Thanksgiving to donate meals in Norfolk (Port of Virginia), Charleston (South Carolina Port Authority), Savannah (Georgia Port Authority) and Los Angeles (LA Port Authority). Charitable organizations helping with these initiatives include the United Way, the Salvation Army, Savannah Feed the Hungry, the USO/Turkeys for Troops, Houston Foodbank and Logistics Victory Los Angeles (LoVLA).
Deeply committed to serving America
This effort is part of CMA CGM’s continued commitment to the U.S. In the past few months, CMA CGM has provided critical supplies, including large refrigerated containers with generator sets to several Louisiana communities impacted by Hurricane Laura. The company also provided much-needed firefighting equipment and storage containers to support relief efforts related to the recent California wildfires.
As the nation’s top ocean-freight carrier, CMA CGM serves 19 U.S. ports with 34 services and 93 weekly port calls. The CMA CGM Group employs more than 12,000 team members across the U.S. and is also a leading provider of logistics services through its subsidiary CEVA Logistics.
In addition, the Group’s subsidiary, American President Lines (APL), operates a fleet of U.S.-flagged vessels and supports U.S. territories and American military stationed around the world.
Ed Aldridge, President of CMA CGM America and American President Lines North America, stated, “CMA CGM plays a critical role in driving the U.S. economy forward, and it is an honor to be able to give back to communities across America, especially during such a challenging time. While COVID-19 has fundamentally shifted how many American families will celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we are very proud to be providing a bit of ‘home’ to those in need this holiday season by donating turkeys and special Thanksgiving meals nationwide.”
About CMA CGM
Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group is a world leader in shipping and logistics.
Its 500 vessels serve more than 420 ports across five continents around the world and carried nearly 22 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2019. With CEVA Logistics, a world leader in logistics services, CMA CGM handles more than 500,000 tons of airfreight and 1.9 million tons of inland freight every year.
CMA CGM is constantly innovating to offer customers new maritime, inland and logistics solutions.
Present on every continent and in 160 countries through its network of 755 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 110,000 people worldwide, of which 2,400 in Marseille where its head office is located.
