CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Nearly $80,000 in charitable donations has been presented to local food banks and pantries this year thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of local residents who make their living in production agriculture. The donations were given through Ceres Solutions, and were made possible by local farmers and customers who have done business with the company in the last year.
Ceres Solutions Cooperative, based in Crawfordsville, Indiana, serves more than 35 counties in Indiana and Michigan. Every year, the company strives to give back in each local communities through several core initiatives: FFA, 4-H, Soil and Water Conservation, academic scholarship and alleviating hunger. Many charitable donations made by Ceres qualify for a dollar-for-dollar match from regional partner Land O’Lakes Cooperative, based in Minnesota. The matching grant program is one that Ceres Solutions strives to take advantage of every year it is offered. This month, in celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Ceres employees and farmer-directors had the privilege of presenting donation checks that will be invested right here to benefit local families.
“Those of us who live and work in rural agricultural based communities are well aware of the abundance and blessings we enjoy. Americans are among the most fortunate in the world, and we happen to believe those who are raising families in the Midwest are especially fortunate,” says Ceres Solutions CEO Jeff Troike. “Our partners at Land O’Lakes and the customers who do business with us make these donations possible. It is an honor to provide the funding to help support local mobile food pantries, backpack programs and other hunger programs that benefit children.”
In the last two weeks alone, more than $50,000 has been presented, and more donations are still being coordinated. Organizations receiving funding include Food Finders (Lafayette), Terre Haute Catholic Charities, Foodbank of Northern Indiana (South Bend), Community Harvest Foodbank North East (Ft. Wayne), Living Well in Wabash County, FISH of Wabash County, Third Phase Inc. (Noblesville), Feeding America West Michigan, and a donation was also made to Feed My Starving Children, which is a global ministry local employees, farmers and directors support. For more information about Ceres Solutions Cooperative, visit www.ceres.coop.
— Ceres Solutions Cooperative
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