By Julie Tomascik
Editor
The impacts of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are felt in local communities across the Lone Star State. As food banks and other food-relief entities struggled to keep up with the increased demand and restaurants struggled with closures or reduced dining capacity, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and county Farm Bureaus provided assistance through food and monetary donations.
“As the effects of COVID-19 linger across our state and nation, charitable organizations are being stretched to the limit. The need for assistance has never been greater, nor has our opportunity to make an impact,” TFB President Russell Boening said.
And the impact was substantial.
County Farm Bureaus donated $379,241 directly to food-relief and community organizations in 2020. TFB matched $174,557 of the amount, increasing the impact of the county donations.
TFB also donated $25,000 to Meals on Wheels Waco, working in cooperation with area restaurants, bringing the total Farm Bureau contribution in 2020 to $578,799.
Those donations were made through two co-op contribution programs—Farm Bureau Feeding Texas and Farm Bureau Feeding the Need.
“These programs put the decision of how best to make an impact in the hands of county Farm Bureaus to maximize the co-op contribution from the state organization,” Boening said. “And our county organizations and local leaders stepped up, helping to provide assistance in a time of great demand and lack of funds for many food-relief entities.”
Several county Farm Bureaus made donations to Meals on Wheels through cooperation with local restaurants, while others donated to food pantries and the Salvation Army, among other community and charitable groups.
“These programs were a joint effort between the state organization and county Farm Bureaus. The goal was to help those who are in need of food, as well as those organizations that provide the food,” Boening said. “And they really did help, especially during the holiday season when families were feeling the extreme impacts of the pandemic.”
Donations came in all shapes, sizes and amounts, including donating beef raised by a local ranch.
County leaders also contributed their time and coordinated logistics for donations.
“We’ve seen Farm Bureau leaders step up many times during a disaster or crisis but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Boening said. “Farm Bureau has been there for farmers and ranchers during this challenging time, and we’ve given back to our local communities. The kindness and compassion shown by our Farm Bureau family is just what we do. We help each other.”
Across the nation, other state Farm Bureaus and county Farm Bureaus also contributed to local communities, donating more than $5.4 million and 1.4 million pounds of food to local food banks, food pantries and pandemic relief programs.
And during all of this, TFB accomplished many efforts to help ensure farmers and ranchers had the support and resources needed to continue operating.
This included working with Congressional leaders on securing more than $36 billion through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and other aid, as well as ensuring agriculture was able to participate in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. TFB also advocated for action to assist meat processing plants in safely operating to avoid a further crisis for livestock producers and to protect the meat supply for U.S. consumers.
“Farm Bureau’s commitment to agriculture and our communities has never wavered during this ongoing pandemic,” Boening said. “Our mission is to be the Voice of Texas Agriculture and to benefit all Texans through the promotion of a prosperous agriculture. We will continue to work on behalf of all our members.”