Members of the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors and Executive Director Kylee Deniz announce this year's $12,300 donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's Pork for Packs, which brings Oklahoma Pork's lifetime donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Food for Backpacks Program to $175,000.
The Oklahoma Pork Council announced its annual donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Pork for Packs in the amount of $12,300, bringing the organization’s lifetime program contribution to $175,000.
"We are so proud to partner with the Oklahoma Pork Council,” said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “The Pork Council’s generosity over the past 15 years has been crucial to providing thousands of chronically hungry children with Oklahoma-grown protein through the Pork for Packs Program."
Pork for Packs utilizes donated hogs from Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members to create protein sticks for the Food for Kids Backpack Program for elementary students. This innovative program was started by the Regional Food Bank in 2003.
The program provides chronically hungry children with backpacks filled with non-perishable, nutritious, shelf-stable food including the protein sticks to sustain them over weekends and school holidays.
This year’s Oklahoma Pork Council donation will allow the Regional Food Bank to process and package more than 35,000 protein sticks.
“Oklahoma pig farmers give back in our communities across the state,” said Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council. “With too many Oklahoma children at risk of going to bed hungry each night, the need is clear. Our farmers are proud to fight against food insecurity via the Regional Food Bank’s Pork for Packs, and we are grateful to every 4-H and FFA student who chooses to help us in this mission.”
Pork for Packs is a collaboration between the Oklahoma Pork Council, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Regional Food Bank and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.
“We are excited to continue our partnership alongside the Oklahoma Pork Council in feeding hungry children across our state,” said David VonTungeln, OKFB Foundation for Agriculture president. “The success of Pork for Packs is reliant on those 4-H and FFA members providing their animals, and we could not be prouder of them willing to help those in need.”
Oklahoma is the fourth hungriest state in the nation. The majority of people served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on limited incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.
For information about donating your show pig to next year’s Pork for Packs, contact the Oklahoma Pork Council.