CCUSA works with dairy cooperative to provide milk to food pantries
April 13, 2020
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has been working with the Dairy Pricing Cooperative in Wisconsin for several years accepting cheese donations when available. In late March CCUSA learned that, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers were dumping milk due to disruptions in the supply chain and the inability to get milk processed.
CCUSA shared with the cooperative that agencies were running out of food in their pantries due to COVID-19 as well. The milk did not have to be dumped. This resulted in a partnership with several farmers based outside of Lancaster, Penn., including Cedar Dream and Stoltzfus Farm that donated over 2,000 gallons of milk. CCUSA paid for the processing.
During the milk processing period, a trucking firm, Flexport, donated $50,000 in trucking expenses which were needed to move the milk. A second farmer facilitated a reduced price purchase of milk and cheese, which were then sent to the following Catholic Charities agencies:
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown
- Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland
- Catholic Charities West Virginia, Inc.
- Catholic Charities, Inc., Covington, KY
- Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio
- Catholic Social Services, Columbus, OH
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Allentown
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Inc.
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