SD Farm Bureau Goes Shopping For A Cause
by Laura Monteverdi, Reporter
February 21, 2013 4:41 PM
Several members of the South Dakota Farm Bureau went grocery shopping on Thursday morning at Country Fair Foods in Dell Rapids.
It's the biggest shopping trip of the year for members of the Farm Bureau and a trip that provides a little relief for those in need.
“The county Farm Bureaus from across the state as far east as Pennington County to as far west as Minnehaha County have donated $3,000 to purchase food to give to Ronald McDonald Houses in Sioux Falls,” said Cindy Foster, the South Dakota Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Chairman.
For the past 15 years, members of the Farm Bureau have celebrated their annual 'Food Check- Out Week,’ by shopping for groceries to stock the kitchens at the Ronald McDonald Houses for families that are staying there.
“If they don't have to purchase the food that they don't have to come back and eat that night, it's just a wonderful blessing for them and we are so appreciative that our farmers and ranchers are willing to donate to that cause,” said Foster.
15 members of the Farm Bureau were split into 3 teams, and spent the morning filling up their carts with products that were not only affordable, but also easy to make, all while staying on a budget.
“We have to add up and we need a calculator as we go on because we each have a certain amount we have to spend and a certain list that we go by,” explained Dorothy Rogness, a member of the Sioux Falls Farm Bureau Board and a veteran shopper.
With each trip down the aisle and every food item placed in their carts, the shoppers were reminded of the good they were doing for those families in need.
“When you think about the people who have a child in the hospital, a lot of them are there for a long time and I think whatever we can do to help is great and it gives us a good feeling of satisfaction too!” said Rogness.
In addition to providing groceries to stock the kitchens, the donations will also provide weekly deliveries of fresh milk from Hy-Vee to both of the Ronald McDonald Houses in Sioux Falls. The weekly milk delivery began last year to one of the houses, but will expand to both locations this year.
