This week, Ohio pork farmers, through the Ohio Pork Council (OPC), partnered with generous supporters, including the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, to provide The Foodbank, Inc. in Dayton with nearly 6,000 pounds of lean ground pork and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Columbus with more than 10,000 pounds of lean ground pork.
?We are honored to receive such a generous donation from Ohio pork farmers this Easter season,? said Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, Inc. ?We look forward to sharing this wholesome, high-protein donation with the many local food pantries, hot meal sites, hunger-relief programs and families in need, so that they can enjoy a delicious Easter meal, too.?
During the 2017 Easter holiday, the Ohio Pork Council donated pork for roughly 80,000 meals to Ohio families. This donation is part of the Ohio Pork Council?s annual ?Pork Power? program. The Ohio Pork Council?s Pork Power program is an annual program that strives to provide hungry Ohioans with pork products.
?We are so grateful to Ohio pork farmers for helping us connect nourishing, protein-rich food to our hungry neighbors,? said Matt Habash, president and CEO of Mid-Ohio Foodbank. ?One in four children in our community doesn?t know where their next meal is coming from. This generous donation will go a long way in our work to build a healthier, hunger-free and thriving community.?
The protein-packed donations will provide roughly 30,000 meals to those in need in the Greater Dayton area and more than 50,000 meals to those in need in the Greater Columbus area.
?Food is a basic need that should be readily available to all Ohioans, especially in a state where agriculture is a leading industry,? said Rich Deaton, President, Ohio Pork Council. ?Since the inception of our Pork Power program, Ohio pork farmers have donated more than 1.5 million meals to local foodbanks in effort to deliver fresh, wholesome food to all those in need.? Deaton continued, ?Each year, it is refreshing to witness our pork farmers? commitment, and compassion to serving their communities.?
