Land O’Lakes recently donated 120,000 pounds of American cheese to three food banks across the United States to feed those in need of assistance. The recipient food banks included the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, Gleaners Food bank of Indiana and Food Bank for the Heartland.
The food banks expressed their appreciation for such a large donation (40,000 pounds each) of a first-run product – fresh product not nearing its expiration date – that is suitable to feed entire families. The cheese will be distributed to families in need in the next couple of weeks.
“Gleaners Food Bank is proud to have partners such as Land O’Lakes that provide food for the families who depend on our local emergency hunger relief network,” said Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. President and CEO Cindy Hubert. “Nutritious donations such as these provide sustenance and hope for our hungry neighbors.”
Land O’Lakes invited Congressman Rick Crawford and State Senator Bruce Holland to the Arkansas donation. Senator Bruce Holland is active with several boards, including a member of the Land O’Lakes Governance Council, which represents 14 states.
According to Christie Jordan, Executive Director for the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, donations of dairy products are rare for the non-profit organization. “This donation of cheese will be such a treat for families struggling to put food on the table. We appreciate Land O’Lakes’ generosity and caring spirit,” Jordan said.
To date, Land O’Lakes has made 40 donations to food banks across the United States as part of the First Run program, totaling more than 1.2 million pounds of product.
“As a national, farmer-owned cooperative, Land O’Lakes is committed to helping the growing number of people struggling to put food on their table,” said Land O’Lakes Foundation Executive Director Lydia Botham. “The ‘First Run’ program provides a unique opportunity for Land O’Lakes to provide a fresh, nutritious product to families who can enjoy it.”
The First Run program is part of Land O’Lakes Feeding Our Communities initiative – a program dedicated to helping alleviate hunger locally, nationally and internationally. The program was introduced in 2010 to increase the amount of product donated to food banks across the country. This is the third year of the program, for which Land O’Lakes has committed to donating truckloads of fresh product to several food banks each quarter.
Source: Land O’Lakes Inc.