Second Harvest Community Food Bank received a donation of more than 37,000 servings of ground pork from Missouri Farmers Care's Drive to Feed Kids this week.
According to a press release from Missouri Farmers Care, in partnership with the Missouri Pork Association, Missouri pig farmers donated 60 hogs for processing under the Pork Partnership.
Missouri Farmers Care says the donation of 8,120 pounds of ground pork, provides much-needed, high-quality protein for hungry Missourians.
With increased unemployment and the challenges of this year, Feeding America projects the number of Missourians facing food insecurity has increased by 5.3% to 63,700 Missourians, including 20,870 children.
"This pork donation from Missouri Farmers Care will allow us to provide quality protein to those in need within our service area," said Second Harvest Communications Coordinator, Blake Haynes. "We are proud to partner with such a community driven organization."
The Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids works to reduce food insecurity across Missouri, in partnership with Feeding Missouri and their network of food banks. Meanwhile, slowdowns driven by coronavirus among major pork processors strained the processing chain in May and June. The Drive to Feed Kids Pork Partnership bridges the gap between Missourians needing a hand up and pork producers who faced a reduction in processing availability.
"Since it launched in 2017, the Drive to Feed Kids has focused on addressing food insecurity in children across Missouri," said Don Nikodim, executive director of the Missouri Pork Association. "We're proud to see how our partners across agriculture have again stepped up to address the needs during these challenging times. Missouri agriculture has a track record of coming together to solve problems, and this is one way to help in today's tough situation. We thank pork producers who have donated their hogs so food banks can meet the needs of our neighbors facing hunger."
Since the initial pick up on May 26, 2020, the Pork Partnership has distributed a total of 44,410 pounds of ground pork statewide to Missouri's regional food banks.
To learn more about Missouri Farmers Care and the 2020 Drive to Feed Kids, visit MOFarmersCare.com/drive.