Farm Bureau Members Support Area Non-Profits
Great things happen when people and organizations work together. For the past 18 years, Cook County Farm Bureau® has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana to celebrate Food Checkout Day and the healthy and nutritious food local farmers grow and raise. Since 2001, Farm Bureau members and partner organizations, including COUNTRY Financial representatives and clients have donated nearly 100,000 pounds of non-perishable food items and have donated over $140,000. Local students and businesses partnered with the Farm Bureau to raise donations. Students donated over 47,750 pounds of food and almost 1,500 pounds of pop tabs. Even Farm Bureau staff was able to assist by preparing lunch for the families calling the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola and Oak Lawn their temporary “home” while their child is receiving treatment.
Farm Bureau has also donated over $1,500 to Cook County food pantries through Farm Bureau’s Grocery Giveaway program. Pantries receiving donations through this program include: Worth Township Food Pantry, Alsip; Together We Cope Food Pantry, Tinley Park; Hines VA Food Pantry, Hines; Tinley Park Food Pantry, Tinley Park; Hillside Food Pantry, Evanston; St. Clements Food Pantry, Harvey; and Rich Township Food Pantry, Richton Park. In addition, fresh meat has been donated to the Ronald McDonald Houses and the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry. The animals were purchased by the Farm Bureau from Cook County 4-H members at the Lake County Fair 4-H animal auction.
Cook County Farm Bureau® is proud to have supported Cook County 4H members at this year’s Lake County 4H animal auction. The meat will be donated to a local food pantry and the Chicagoland Ronald McDonald House Charities®.
Through Farm Bureau’s urban garden grant program, over $10,500 has been donated to Cook County urban farms to support the continuation and expansion of local urban farms. Farm Bureau’s school garden grant program supports local elementary, middle and high schools that are interested in creating a classroom container garden.
Farm Bureau’s Young Professional group along with CCFB leaders and volunteers prepared almost 26,000 servings of food for families in need through the Feed My Starving Children organization.
Farm Bureau’s young professionals have an outstanding history of donating to the community. In addition to donating their time at the Greater Chicagoland Food Depository to bag over 10,400 pounds of apples, they also prepared almost 26,000 servings of food for Feed My Starving Children.