Texas Agriculture Daily

By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor

Washington County Farm Bureau (CFB) recently made donations to three local organizations, using the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Helping Hands co-op contribution program to boost the donations’ impact.

The Burton Bridge Ministry, Bread Partners of Washington County and Washington County Healthy Living Association (WCHLA) each received $750 from Washington CFB.

“All three of those organizations do a lot for the elderly and low-income people here in Washington County,” Washington CFB President Larry Winkelmann said. “They do good things for the community, so we wanted to do something good for them.”

Burton Bridge Ministry is a non-profit formed by 13 local churches. Five ministry teams work to provide a variety of services and aid to Washington County residents. Winkelmann said the organization is a lifeline for many in need. The organization offers a mobile food pantry, minor home repairs, the preparation and serving of hot meals to senior citizens, Christian camps for children, community events and more.

Bread Partners of Washington County distributes food boxes to more than 1,000 seniors and families in the area each month. Winkelmann noted the non-profit provides fresh fruits, meat and vegetables, as well as non-perishable pantry staples in each box.

The WCHLA’s Margaret E. Blizzard Senior Activity Center provides free, hot lunches to senior citizens each weekday and delivers meals to those who are homebound. In addition to meals, the center provides daily activities and transportation for seniors to local stores, medical offices and more.

“In the past, we’ve done a Food Connection event at local grocery stores where we gave out gift cards to people in drawings. We would match whatever we gave away at the grocery store with a donation to the food pantries, but with the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we decided to help in a different way,” Winkelmann said. “We knew these organizations would take the funds and do good work, and it’s good to be able to give even more with the help of Texas Farm Bureau.”