Meals in motion: TQL and Jennifer Garner team up to feed the hungry
TQL’er Jared helps Garner’s company, Once Upon a Farm, distribute Thanksgiving dinners to West Virginia families and has surprise meeting with co-founderBy Shannon Russell
Key points:
- Jared’s logistics expertise led to a TQL partnership with Once Upon a Farm, a children-focused organic food company co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner.
- Through Moves that Matter, TQL has moved over 1 million meals for Once Upon a Farm’s A Million Meals program.
- Jared and Jennifer distributed food to 300 families at a Nov. 22 distribution event in West Virginia.
When TQL sales representative Jared reached out to organic children’s food company Once Upon a Farm in 2018, he knew he could help solve a specific challenge.
Once Upon a Farm, a healthy kids’ food company specializing in organic, cold-pressed snacks and meals, needed a logistics expert capable of protecting temperature-sensitive freight. One misstep in the cold chain could spoil their product and disrupt the chain of custody in end-to-end shipping.
That’s where Jared came in.
He understood the nuances of moving perishable food safely and quickly. Leveraging TQL’s 110,000+ carrier network, he kept Once Upon a Farm’s temperature-critical freight protected every step of the way.
Since then, TQL has moved over 1 million meals in partnership with Once Upon a Farm on behalf of its A Million Meals program to provide nutritious, healthy food to kids.
Jared never expected to meet the company’s high-profile co-founder—actress and philanthropist Jennifer Garner—along the way. But that’s exactly what happened Nov. 22 at a Mountaineer Food Bank distribution event in West Virginia.
Watch: Jennifer Garner, Jared talk about Once Upon a Farm’s partnership with TQL
Jared and his wife, Itzhel, volunteered to pass out food to families in need the Saturday before Thanksgiving in support of two philanthropic missions: TQL’s Moves that Matter and Once Upon a Farm’s A Million Meals.
Through Moves that Matter, the only program of its kind in the logistics industry, TQL provides logistics expertise and carrier network while absorbing all transportation costs to move charitable loads. The TQL Cares initiative underscores the need for access to fresh, nutritious food and demonstrates the collective impact of corporate giving.
Once Upon a Farm’s A Million Meals, developed with Save the Children, is dedicated to helping provide 1 million nutritious meals to kids who lack access to fresh food.
More: TQL exceeds $2M Moves that Matter pledge, increases support to $3M
After organizing a Moves that Matter shipment to the West Virginia event, Jared helped distribute food to 300 families. Many live 45 miles from the nearest grocery store, creating a nearly impossible journey through the West Virginia snow during winter.
Cars lined up for miles as volunteers filled trunks with Thanksgiving dinners.
“You could tell people were hungry and cold. Some cars looked like they could barely run,” Jared said. “It made me want to help even more.”
Organizers greeted Jared and his wife and mentioned “Jen” was there, too. Moments later, Jennifer Garner appeared, shoulder-to-shoulder with volunteers.
“Jennifer Garner hugged my wife and said to me, ‘I can’t believe I get to meet someone from TQL!” Jared said. “We talked for about five minutes like we were buddies. She thanked us for the partnership and for working with TQL for so long. It really blew my mind.”
For the next two hours in the rain, Garner packed food in trunks, posed for selfies, signed autographs, and even waved Jared over to record a social media video. He said it was like meeting an old friend.
“She was friendly and kind to everyone,” Jared said. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
TQL and Once Upon a Farm have partnered on Moves that Matter initiatives since 2022. Thanks to Jared’s planning, precision and expertise with refrigerated shipments, TQL has moved 24 charitable loads for A Million Meals in 2025.
Jared said he’s excited for more opportunities to combine logistics expertise with community partnership in the years ahead.
From helping customers ship fresh meals to assisting families in need, TQL is committed to doing things right—every time. Find out more by contacting your dedicated Logistics Account Executive or calling (800) 580.3101 today.
