MUNCIE, Ind – Indiana Pork, in partnership with Feeding Indiana's Hungry, Inc. and the Indiana Soybean Alliance, is donating 7,500 pounds of ground pork to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. It is the second delivery earmarked for east central Indiana.
The pork donation is part of a bold, ambitious and ongoing campaign for Indiana pork producers, industry partners, friends and the general public to fund a program to donate pork products to Hoosiers experiencing hunger.
This initiative is designed to help thousands of Hoosier families with one of their most essential needs – high quality protein. The lofty goal of the campaign is to provide one million ground pork meals per year, throughout the year, to those in need. These pork meals will be distributed statewide through the eleven food bank members of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc., Indiana’s statewide network of food banks.
“One in six Hoosiers in East Central Indiana is accessing emergency food assistance each year,” said Lois Rockhill, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. “The Million Meals program is providing important protein for nearly 31,000 children and 5,000 seniors among the 69,900 people struggling to make ends meet here in our communities. We are thankful to be a part of this generous program.”
“Indiana donations of pork products have been in place for decades, however, this is the first time the Indiana pork industry is tackling the problem of hunger on a coordinated statewide basis," said Mark York, Indiana Pork President.
“Indiana soybean farmers – through our checkoff dollars – are pleased to be able to wrap up our year-long support of the Million Meals program here in Muncie,” said David Lowe, Indiana Soybean Alliance farmer-director from Dunkirk, Ind. “As Indiana soybean farmers help feed Indiana’s hungry, we are also able to support a program that increases the consumption of pork here in the state and help Indiana pork producers who are a major customer of our soybeans.”
David Lowe, ISA Board member makes comments during the event . Click here for a larger photo.
The program was formally announced at the Indiana State Fair last summer. “Indiana is blessed with a rich and abundant agricultural economy. There’s no reason anyone in our state should go without a meal,” said Michael Platt, Executive Director of Indiana Pork. “We’re encouraging all of our partners in agriculture to join us to help make Indiana the first hunger free state in the nation.”
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is the region’s largest hunger-relief charity. Our mission is to provide a coordinated approach to alleviating hunger in East Central Indiana. Our goal is to feed East Central Indiana's most vulnerable residents through a region-wide network of member agencies and programs and to engage our region in the fight to end hunger. Each year, the Second Harvest Food Bank network provides food assistance to more than 69,900 low-income people facing hunger in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash Counties, including nearly 31,000 children and 5,000 seniors. To learn more and to join us in ending hunger visit http://www.curehunger.org. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Indiana Pork is a not-for-profit trade association representing Indiana’s 3,000 pork farmers through the Pork Checkoff Program. To learn more about the Million Meals Program visit www.indianapork.com
Indiana Soybean Alliance is committed to donating 50,000 pounds of ground pork – enough to feed 200,000 people – through the Million Meals program from October 2009 through September 2010. Indiana Soybean Alliance – the state’s soybean checkoff organization – through its livestock committee is focused on increasing the in-state consumption of Indiana-raised meat products as an avenue to maintaining demand for our soybeans.
Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. is the statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks (formerly America’s Second Harvest). Our eleven member food banks serve 1,700 agencies in all 92 counties, providing emergency food assistance to Hoosiers in need. For more information on Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc., contact Emily Weikert Bryant at 317/396-9355 or ewbryant@feedingindianashungry.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit the website at www.feedingindianashungry.org.
Source: Indiana Soybean Alliance