Contributions across the organization’s 10-state region will help meet the dairy demand food banks and pantries are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On behalf of 6,500 dairy farm families across the Midwest, St. Paul, Minn.-headquartered Midwest Dairy said it is donating $500,000 to food banks in the Midwest to purchase dairy products for people who are in need. The contributions will be spread across the 10 states Midwest Dairy represents, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, to help meet the increased demand for dairy products during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food banks across the region have been seeing unprecedented need in recent weeks, setting records of daily and weekly food distribution and showcasing the urgency of finding resourceful ways to provide more food to those experiencing food insecurity, Midwest Dairy said. With unemployment numbers still climbing and schools — where many children receive the majority of their daily meals — continuing to be closed, the demand is expected to continue growing.