Maola Local Dairies, a brand of the Reston, Va.-based Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, said it donated more than 45,000 half-pints of chocolate and 1% white milk last week to three Virginia food banks.

“In these uncertain times, we need to do all we can to help our community,” said Scott Garrett, national accounts manager with the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative. “We had product that would typically have gone to schools, and with the widespread closures due to coronavirus, these 17 pallets of milk didn’t have a home.”

The cooperative said it tapped into its existing relationship with the Virginia food bank system and was able to coordinate the milk donation. The Feeding Southwest Virginia Food Bank, the Hampton Virginia Food Bank and Norfolk Virginia Food Bank all received fresh Maola milk to provide dairy products to families in need. The donation totaled 17 pallets of milk equaling over 45,000 half-pints.

The cooperative has been working with Virginia food banks since last March as part of the Milk for Good campaign. It sells Maola branded 2% milk to five Virginia area food banks through this campaign, offering patrons of food banks access to fresh milk and dairy products.

“This is a time for us all to come together, to work for the greater good of our communities,” Garrett said. “We’re very sensitive to the economic stress this public health crisis is causing in homes that are food-insecure, and in this instance, we had the resources and capabilities to help out and do the right thing.”