Co-Alliance Donates $3,000 to Tipton Community School Corporation’s Feed It Forward Program

Co-Alliance has donated $3,000 towards Tipton Community School Corporation’s Feed It Forward Program which will help pay outstanding cafeteria balances for students throughout the school system.  

The check presentation brought together Co-Alliance employees, school board members and faculty. Pictured left to right in the front are Lindsay Sankey, Co-Alliance, Jason Springer – TSCS School board member, Amy Vandergriff – Co-Alliance, Brook Cleaver – TCSC Treasure, Scott Jaworski – TCSC Director of Student Achievement and Learning 

Back – Rob Cochrane – TSCS School board member, Kenny Dunlap – Co-Alliance, Ryan Perlee – Co-Alliance, Susan Sloan – TSCS School board member, and Adam Proulx – TCSC Food Service Director 

Tipton Community Schools created the Feed It Forward Program to allow the public to donate money to support students in grades K – 12 who have cafeteria accounts in arrears. At Tipton Elementary alone, over 20 accounts have negative balances regularly. Unfortunately, the negative balances often follow those students through junior high and high school. Our donation will aid in efforts to ensure every student gets a tray lunch, daily.  

“Our farmer-owned cooperative plays a large role in producing the safest, most abundant food supply in the world. There is no reason why people in our rural communities should go hungry,” said Kevin Still, President & CEO of Co-Alliance Cooperative. “We’ve made it a priority to give back to our rural communities through food security support and this amount invested in Tipton County is an example of that commitment.” 

The Feed It Forward donation is part of our cooperative-wide initiative to promote and invest in food security throughout the trade territory in 2023. We recently concluded an internal employee food security drive, Planting The Seeds For Food Security, that raised $15,480. That commitment from the farmer-owned cooperative is now being tripled, as Co-Alliance is matching every dollar donated by employees and Land O’Lakes will match what Co-Alliance commits through their Member Co-op Match program.  

Planting The Seeds For Food Security was developed to invite employees to play a key part in ending hunger in local rural communities. The total money raised to be given back to rural communities through food security donations and the match program is officially $46,440.  
  
The best part? Our employees were also given the opportunity to elect specifically where those funds are distributed. They could choose churches, community or regional food banks that serve families in their hometowns. It is through this very personal feedback that Co-Alliance will now direct those dollars throughout the spring and summer.  

Last week, Co-Alliance partnered with Land O’Lakes, Inc. to donate 40,000 pounds of LAND O LAKES® Macaroni & Cheese to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana through the Land O’Lakes First Run Program. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana collaborates with 164 partners in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, and Wabash Counties, and the macaroni & cheese product will be distributed through those partners.  

We continue to make food security investments throughout our hometowns. Where will the next one be? Stay tuned!