The Gift of Protein: Pork Makes an Impact Across the Country

214 Iowa veteran-based organizations are preparing to host Veterans Day celebrations with the support of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. Eligible veterans’ organizations, community groups and nonprofits recently received free pork loins and supplies for Veterans Day community events, the Foundation said in a release.

The pork loins and event kits help communities celebrate and honor veterans in their area, spanning 73 Iowa counties and 142 communities. Encompassing the 214 organizations are 95 American Legions, 33 Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations, 19 Elks Lodges, 21 County Veteran Affairs Offices, 10 AMVETS and 31 other veteran-based groups. This is the third year that pork loins and supplies have been offered. Each organization was offered 48 boneless pork loins and an event kit complete with placemats, plates, cups, napkins, centerpieces, posters and tablecloths. On average, the kits will feed 960 people.

Pork for Patriots is just one of the foundation’s programs devoted to supporting and honoring Iowa veterans and military families. The foundation offers micro-grants through Project Food and Fellowship, outfits veterans through the My Veteran Hero program, delivers Pork Care Package coupons to active military members, sends annual gifts to Gold Star families and sponsors of the Veterans Day parade at the Iowa State Fair.

Iowa Pork Producers Association Donates 38,000 Servings of Pork

The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA), in partnership with Fareway Stores, Inc., delivered $20,000 worth of ground pork to six regional food banks across Iowa and western Nebraska this week as part of an ongoing effort to fight food insecurity and support local communities. The donations equal more than 9,500 lbs. of ground pork and will provide more than 38,000 servings of valuable protein to people in need.