SALT LAKE CITY – Hungry families in Utah are benefiting from the efforts of young people that resulted in about 150,000 pounds of meat and other food products.
The beef, pork and mutton was made available to the Utah Food Bank through the 4-H Club’s Purchased Meat Program, and dozens of young 4-H Club volunteers helped pack up the meat earlier this week.
Corporate and private donors raise money in order to purchase “most of the 4-H livestock sold at county and state fair auctions” during the summer, and the money goes to the 4-H participants while the meat is donated to the Utah Food Bank, according to a press release.
The 4-H Club is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills among youth.
Ginette Bott, Chief Development Officer for Utah Food Bank, said the meat will have a statewide impact.
“As we continue to meet the needs of hungry families, the 4-H [Club] is starting to understand that need, and they help us,” she said. “This year, with over 150,000 pounds, we’ll be able to help families across the state of Utah.”
The Utah Food Bank said they are gearing up to provide for families in need during the upcoming holidays and winter months, and they said they are grateful to the kids in 4-H, the parents of those children, and those who have donated or volunteered with the program.
The donation program began in 2005 when a 4-H Lamb Club in Farmington donated a few hundred pounds of meat as a service project, and since that time an estimated 905,000 pounds of meat and other food items have been donated through the program, according to the press release from the Utah Food Bank.
Click here to learn more about the Utah Food Bank and the ways you can help provide food assistance to those in need.
Click here to visit the Utah chapter of the 4-H Club’s website.
