Haul Out Hunger outreach provides ground pork products to food pantries in Montezuma, Malcom and Grinnell

​        Employees with Iowa Select Farms are shown with the 48 cases of ground pork donated free of charge to the Malcom Food Pantry. Pictured are, from left: Abby Fausch, Janey Gingerich, Jessica Norris, Alyssa Neddermeyer, Sarah Fritz and Jaiden Schmelzer. The free ground pork was delivered on July 11.

By J.O. Parker
 
        The Montezuma Food Pantry, the Malcom Food Pantry and MICA in Grinnell were all recipients of one-pound packages of ground pork, thanks to the Iowa Select Farms program, Haul Out Hunger.
         Employees with Iowa Select Farms, with offices in Iowa Falls and West Des Moines, helped deliver boxes of ground pork to the pantries earlier this summer.
         MICA received 10 cases or 120-pounds of ground pork on July 10. The Montezuma Food Pantry received 12 cases or 144-pounds of ground pork on July 11 and that same day, the Malcom Food Pantry received 48 cases or 576-pounds of ground pork.
         All totaled, 70 cases of pork were delivered in Poweshiek County.
        The Haul Out Hunger outreach has been around since 2010. The donations are made possible through the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, which was founded in 2006. The Hansen couple owns Iowa Select Farms.
         Food pantries become eligible to receive the pork in counties where Iowa Select Farms are located and meet certain qualifications.
          There are about 800 Iowa Select Farms across Iowa and Poweshiek County is home to seven Iowa Select Farms.
       According to Laura Noehren, foundation program manager with the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, food pantries in 43 counties in Iowa qualified to receive the free pork.
      “This year we reached 41 of those 43 counties with the ground pork through the Haul Out Hunger outreach,” noted Noehren.
         The Haul Out Hunger program distributed 34,440 pounds of ground pork to pantries in the 41 counties. That was enough pork to provide 137,760 meals based on one-pound of pork for a family of four.
        The Poweshiek County food pantries have received pork lions in past years through the foundation’s Haul Out Hunger outreach. This is the first year that the program has provided ground pork.
          “We hope this can accommodate requests we have had in the past for more portion-friendly options for small families and individuals,” noted Noehren. 
         In addition to the pork, the Haul Out Hunger program distributed free pork recipe books to be handed out to pantry customers receiving the free ground pork.
        In addition to the ground pork, the pantries all received Henry’s Heroes bags filled with diapers, baby wipes, baby shampoo and other related supplies. All three pantries received two Henry’s Heroes bags.
The program is named after the Hansen’s first grandchild, Henry.
           “It’s a great program that changes every year to fit the needs of each community,” said Noehren.
           And, the county food pantries also received a number of free insulated lunch/food bags.  
         “We appreciate the donation of ground pork from the Haul Out Hunger program through Iowa Select Farms,” said Darla Wilson, Montezuma Food Pantry director. “The generosity and heart of Jeff and Deb Hansen to help us and the other communities is a blessing.”
        “The Malcom Food Pantry wouldn’t be able to service the wide area we do if it wasn’t for generous donations, volunteers and initiatives like Haul Out Hunger,” said Dawn Hamilton, the Malcom Food Pantry Director and town mayor. “The recipe pamphlets they provided along with the food are a key resource as many of the people we serve are not sure how to pair certain items to make a meal. We are forever grateful to those who help us keep our community fed.”

​        Montezuma Food pantry volunteers, Kevin Rempp, right, and Reed Hoeppner, left, are shown with Iowa Select Farms employees, Laura Noehren and Abby Fausch, after they delivered 12 cases of ground pork to the pantry.

        Each pantry in Poweshiek County also received free insulated lunch/food bags given away to customers who received the free pork.

​       Each pantry in Poweshiek County receiving the ground pork also received two Henry’s Heroes bags loaded with baby care items such as diapers, baby wipes and baby shampoo. The gift bags are named after Deb and Jeff Hansen’s first grandson, Henry.

​       Each pantry also received a number of recipe books to give to customers who received the free ground pork.