Land O' Lakes Foundation Launches Program to Fight Rural Hunger

New Program Targets Rural Hunger

We all have seen the hungry littering the streets of one of the most powerful nations on earth.

On Nov. 4 The Land O'Lakes Foundation, located in Arden Hills, Minn. announced the establishment of a new program called Feeding Our Communities, that focuses specifically on helping alleviate hunger in rural America.

The program, which includes direct and matching grants, has the potential to generate up to an additional $1 million for hunger-related initiatives in rural communities.

In a press release, foundation officials said Feeding Our Communities is a very focused and strategic approach to the growing issue of rural hunger.

"There is a tendency to underestimate the impact of hunger in rural communities," Land O'Lakes Foundation Executive Director Lydia Botham said. "But the fact is, the percentage of rural households that are food insecure matches, or even exceeds, the percentage of urban

households. As a farmer-owned cooperative, Land O'Lakes is committed to addressing the quality of life in rural communities."

As part of the Feeding Our Communities initiative, the Land O'Lakes Foundation Board of Directors has approved funding for a program with the potential to generate up to an additional $1 million for hunger-related programs in rural communities - delivered through a combination of direct grants and the Foundation's Member Co-op Match Program.

"The Feeding Our Communities grant program represents a direct response to the increased need we are seeing in today's challenging economy," Land O'Lakes Foundation Board Chairman Jim Hager said. "It channels financial resources into the communities where our members live, work, farm and do business. It represents a very focused approach to a very significant, and growing, need. Just as important, it involves member- cooperatives in identifying and addressing needs within their local communities."