Youth News
Oklahoma FFA Members Donate Animals to Feed Hungry Children, Part of the FFA Hunger Challenge
Thu, 03 May 2018 13:03:27 CDT
Oklahoma FFA members donated 388 animals and $5,337 in cash between May 1, 2017, and April 1, 2018, to benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
Members of 231 FFA chapters donated the animals as part of the FFA Hunger Challenge presented by the state FFA officer team. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma was able to make 1,055,437 protein sticks from the animals donated.
"The results on the April 1, 2018, deadline were a huge success by any measure. Oklahoma FFA chapters provided more than enough pork and beef protein sticks to supply every hungry child's backpack for well over a year," said Jack Staats, state FFA advisor and state agricultural education program administrator at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma provides food for weekends and school holidays to 34,000 chronically hungry elementary school children in the state through the backpack programs. Each backpack contains a beef or pork protein stick.
The money to process the pigs and calves came from selling donated lambs and goats at auction. Also, in lieu of an animal, some FFA chapters donate cash through the Cents Makes Sense program by contributing one dollar from each fundraising item sold.
Hollis FFA chapter in southwest Oklahoma donated 34 animals, the most from any chapter. Merritt chapter donated 19, Yukon, 18, Altus, Porter and Thomas-Fay-Custer donated 11 each, and the Elk City chapter donated 10 animals.
According to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the protein sticks from each donated animal are given to children in the county of the donating FFA chapter.
"Our FFA Hunger Challenge theme this year was Work for a Cause. Not an Applause. You won't see any FFA member's name associated with a donation at the upcoming state convention," said Ridge Hughbanks, state FFA president. "We honor the FFA chapters for their member's participation."
Partnering with the Oklahoma FFA Association in the Hunger Challenge were Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation, Oklahoma Pork Council, Wes and Lou Watkins, Tulsa State Fair, Oklahoma Youth Expo and Ag Youth Magazine.
Source - Oklahoma CareerTech
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