Drive-Thru Milk Giveaway Event Provided Milk to Hundreds of Families
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – May 24, 2021 – Food pantries continue to face increased demand for food assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Feeding America®, with its more than 200 affiliates across the country, projects that 42 million people (1 in 8), including 13 million children (1 in 6), may experience food insecurity in 2021.
To help provide much-needed nourishment for families in need, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national cooperative owned by dairy farm families across the U.S., and its farmer-owned brand Gandy’s has teamed up with Dairy MAX, representing more than 900 dairy farm families in New Mexico and seven other states, to organize a drive-thru milk giveaway on May 15 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clovis.
“As dairy farmers, we’re proud of the role we play in feeding families, and in times like these when so many are continuing to struggle, we feel passionately about doing all we can to help,” said Ron Schaap, a dairy farmer and DFA member-owner from Clovis.
The collaboration resulted in 511 gallons of milk distributed to 250 families. A remaining 189 gallons were donated to the food pantry at Sacred Heart to be used in the Dairy MAX cooler provided through a refrigerated storage donation program. This program allows food pantries to have access to refrigerated storage, enabling them to get more milk and dairy products to families in need.
“This was our first milk drive, and I want to thank everyone who made this possible and to the volunteeers that came to help us. We were determined to stay as along as we could to provide milk to those in need,” said Rosie Buchan, pantry director at Sacred Heart. “The generosity was a blessing to the people in our community.”
Local dairy farmers and DFA members volunteered at the event, distributing gallons of milk to hundreds of cars lined up in the church parking lot.
An Ongoing Commitment to Help Feed Families
Since April 2020, DFA and its family farm-owners have donated the equivalent of more than 15 million servings of dairy to food pantries across the country. Additionally, through the creation of the DFA Cares Farmers Feeding Families Fund, DFA and its farmer-owners are raising money to help provide essential support and deliver much-needed dairy products to community food pantries across the country. To date, the Farmers Feeding Families Fund has raised more than $675,000 and donated financial support, dairy products and cold storage to nearly 250 community food pantries, where DFA’s family farm-owners live and work.
###
About Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 12,500 family farm-owners, DFA manufactures a variety of dairy products, including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, dairy ingredients and more that connect our Cooperative’s family farms to family tables with regional brands such as Alta Dena® Dairy, Oak Farms® Dairy, Meadow Gold® Dairy, Friendly®’s, Borden® Cheese, Plugra® Butter and Kemps® to name a few. On a global scale, we work with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients their customers are craving, while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit dfamilk.com.
About Dairy MAX
Founded more than 40 years ago, Dairy MAX is one of the leading regional dairy councils in America — representing more than 900 dairy farmers and serving communities in eight states: Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. A nonprofit organization, Dairy MAX is part of a nationwide effort to support dairy farming and drive impact for every dairy farmer, while promoting American agriculture. The organization operates five audience outreach programs: business development, consumer marketing, health and wellness, industry image and relations and school marketing. For more information about Dairy MAX and its team of experts, visit DairyMAX.org. Dairy resources and delicious recipes are available at DairyDiscoveryZone.com.
2 Attachments
