High Plains Food Bank gets 37,000 lbs. of protein with church donation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) contributed 23 pallets in its latest donation to the High Plains Food Bank (HPFB), Wednesday morning at the food bank's distribution center.

The donation, filling an entire semi truck, includes 37,800 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys, to be distributed by the food bank across the 29 counties of the Texas Panhandle. According to HPFB Executive Director Zach Wilson, this is a donation of many high demand proteins that the food bank offers, and he expects that most if not all the goods will be distributed by the end of the week, with distributions beginning as soon as Thursday.

"Ground beef and meat is one of those that is always in the highest of demand. ... To show how much the demand is for the product, if we were to receive a donation like this every two weeks, we would have enough of a demand to utilize the donations each time. So, to receive a donation from the Latter-Day Saints kicking off the year, coupled with the need we have and current prices of beef, we are thankful," Wilson said. "This will literally help put food and specifically protein on the table tonight for many."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.

According to Wilson, these protein goods will be utilized by the 9,000 to 10,000 households that the food bank serves each month.

"We are really excited to be able to bring this truckload in. We have had a few truckloads over the past few years of different commodities that the church has donated," said Brock Blaser, President of the Amarillo Texas Stake in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "Locally as church leaders, we are just honored to be able to represent the church with these major donations. There is a lot of need in the Panhandle and anywhere in the world right now, especially with protein products; to to be able to do this, we are very excited."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated 23 pallets including more than 37,000 pounds of ground beef, pork roast and whole turkeys to the High Plains Food Bank distribution center Wednesday morning.

According to Blaser, these goods come from the farms and ranches managed by the LDS church throughout the country and world that are raised specifically to meet the needs of communities. This LDS donation also includes two pallets of ground beef to be donated to ADVO for those they serve.

"Whatever we can do to help meet the needs of the communities, even the small organizations like ADVO who maybe can't store a whole truckload but can accept a few pallets, and the food banks' generosity for allowing us to drop it off here for ADVO to collect, ... it's a perfect example of community partnerships working together to help those in need," Blaser said.

For more information or to make a donation to HPFB, visit them online at https://www.hpfb.org/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: High Plains Food Bank receives 23-pallet donation from LDS church