Farm Bureau families nationwide donated 53 million pounds of food and raised nearly $1.5 million to assist hungry Americans in 2020 as part of the organization’s Harvest for All program. Combined, the monetary and food donations totaled the equivalent of 53 million meals.
These programs complemented Farm Bureau’s COVID-19 relief support: $5.4 million and 1.4 million pounds of food, announced in January.
Criteria for tracking Harvest for All donations included dollars and pounds of food donated by state and county Farm Bureaus, as well as volunteer hours, reported from the grassroots up as part of the annual campaign.
Florida Farm Bureau donated the most food and raising the most money in 2020: 43 million pounds and $413,000. California tallied the most volunteer hours: 7,519. Both state Farm Bureaus received $500 grant (for each type of contribution) from Nationwide for donation to a food bank of their choice or for another Harvest for All project.
Second-place winners were New York Farm Bureau for food donated (8 million pounds) and Michigan Farm Bureau for donated funds at $313,972 and Florida Farm Bureau for volunteer time at 7,182 hours.
Each of the second-place winners received a $250 grant (for each type of contribution) from Nationwide to donate to the local food bank of their choice.
The national-level Harvest for All contest incorporates giving by the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies, including the Agent Charitable Fund (ACF). Through ACF’s 2020 initiatives, over $305,000 was raised to provide food and educational programs to residents throughout Michigan in an effort to end hunger.
The ACF unleashes the power of Farm Bureau agents, clients and partners to end hunger in Michigan through education, financial support and community engagement.
“As a grassroots organization, the members of our county Farm Bureaus are entrenched in our communities and it only makes sense for the Agent Charitable Fund to work with our members to provide hunger relief in those communities,” said ACF Manager Noelle Nachreiner. “The ACF is happy to support MFB and the Harvest for All program to ensure that all funds raised are connecting Michigan families to much needed resources like food and nutrition education.”
This year county Farm Bureaus can partner with the ACF through the Double-up Donation Program, which matches funds to county Farm Bureaus to support community organizations, schools or programming addressing food insecurity at a local level.
Learn more about the Double-Up Donation at www.endhungerinmichigan.org/countyfb or contact Nachreiner directly at 517-679-5573.