JEFFERSON CITY –The Missouri Farmers Care Foundation has awarded eleven Missouri FFA chapters 2024 Drive to Feed Kids grants. This is the fourth year the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation has provided matching grants for Missouri FFA chapters to fund efforts addressing local food security needs. In 2023, recipient FFA chapters raised resources to provide 114,850 meals in their local communities from grant-funded projects.

The Missouri FFA chapters receiving 2024 Drive to Feed Kids grants are:  

• Ballard FFA, Butler
• Cass County Career Center FFA, Harrisonville
• Climax Springs FFA, Climax Springs
• Concordia FFA, Concordia
• Farmington FFA, Farmington
• Newburg FFA, Newburg
• Otterville FFA, Otterville
• Pleasant Hill FFA, Pleasant Hill
• Pilot Grove FFA, Pilot Grove
• Union FFA, Union
• West Platte FFA, Weston

“Missouri agriculture is honored to help Missouri FFA members fulfill their ‘Living to Serve’ motto,” said Ashley McCarty, executive director of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation. “The Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids, presented with ADM and Brownfield Ag News, equips youth to positively impact their communities. The activities funded by these grants impact the lives of FFA members and make brighter days for children and families facing hunger in our communities.”

Drive to Feed Kids matching grants of $250 are offered competitively to chapters hosting service-learning projects focused on the mission of addressing food insecurity. FFA chapters raise matching funds or generate in-kind contributions to support the projects. A second round of grant applications will be accepted from Missouri FFA chapters for activities impacting food insecurity held between January 1 and August 1, 2024. Applications are available at https://mofarmerscare.com/driveminigrant/. 

“Missouri FFA’s Motto is ‘Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve’” said Keith Dietzschold, Missouri Agriculture Education Director, and State FFA Advisor. “Opportunities like this grant program provide experiences for our members to practice learning, doing, and serving and along the way our members impact their local communities. This is such a win for our Missouri FFA members. Thank you to Missouri Farmers Care and their members for the support with this grant program and the additional activities during the year. Being a small part of this partnership, which brings Missouri agriculture together for the benefit of the citizens of Missouri, is an honor.”

Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids and Missouri FFA join forces annually to raise awareness and resources to address needs faced by families facing food insecurity. The Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday and Missouri FFA State Day of Service is August 13th at the Missouri State Fair. The organizations will again partner as hundreds of FFA members pack over 150,000 meals and fairgoers make a difference through their donations. In 2023, the Drive to Feed Kids collaborative effort raised 1,200,389 meals for Feeding Missouri, a coalition of Missouri’s six Food Banks working to provide hunger relief to every county through a network of more than 1,500 community feeding programs.

Companies, organizations and individuals interested in joining the Drive to Feed Kids can find details and a link to give at www.mofarmerscare.com/drive. All donations support the Drive and the work of Feeding Missouri network food banks who work daily to alleviate hunger.