Helping Ukraine Through DFA Cares Program
Enriching communities and consumers’ lives is more than just important to Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), it is one of their core values. The cooperative has a deep-rooted commitment in giving back in all the ways they can through their DFA Cares Foundation.
The Foundation was established in 2005 as a nonprofit charitable organization. Through the DFA Cares Foundation, DFA provides disaster relief via product and monetary donations, invests in the future of the industry by providing scholarships to students pursuing careers in dairy, and donates dairy and food products to those in need.
Stemmed by COVID-19, the DFA Cares Foundation’s Farmers Feeding Families Fund began to meet the increasing demand for food insecurity in April 2020. The fund, which began with a generous donation from one of DFA’s family farmer-owners, has since raised almost $900,000 and has provided products for those in need across the country.
Efforts to Help Ukraine
To help those impacted by the current invasion and attack on Ukraine, DFA stepped up with a recent donation. To date, DFA has donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in their relief efforts.
“We also donated a load of whole milk powder and more than 12,000 cases of Sport Shake to Convoy of Hope to go to Ukraine refugees,” Kim O’Brien, DFA media relations shares.
Beyond those donations, DFA has also raised an additional $12,000 from members and employees through DFA Cares to further aid in relief efforts.
“We are currently evaluating where the greatest need is,” O’Brien reports.
Jackie Klippenstein, senior vice president, government, industry and community relations at DFA, shares that the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative and its farm families value their ability to help and feed others during times of need.
“We’re saddened for the people of Ukraine, and our thoughts go out to all the individuals and families who have been impacted.”
To learn more about the DFA Cares program or donate, go to dfamilk.com/our-commitment/dfa-cares.
