Kemps taking action to ensure Eastern Iowa families in need have milk
Local Dairy Brand Donating 800,000 Shelf-Stable “Giving Cow” Milks to Food Banks throughout the Midwest this Year
HIAWATHA, IA (Feb. 17, 2022) — Millions of children and families living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day. In fact, according to Feeding America, with its more than 200 affiliates across the country, 12 million children across the United States may not know where they will get their next meal. Locally in East Central Iowa, one in nine are struggling to find their next meal.
Dairy-brand Kemps is stepping up in 2022 to provide much-needed nourishment for families in need with the donation of nearly 800,000 “Giving Cow™” milks. These specially designed, shelf-stable milks are being delivered to Midwestern food banks in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Local retailer Hy-Vee is partnering with Kemps to benefit Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), which will receive more than 30,000 Giving Cow chocolate milks today for distribution across 9 counties in eastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids.
“Giving Cow” Milk Offers a Shelf-Stable Solution for Food Shelves
Milk is one of the most requested yet least donated items at food shelves, as too often, these facilities lack sufficient cold storage. The single-serve, 8-ounce packs of ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk have a shelf life of up to 12 months. Typically, fresh milk has a shelf life of approximately 20 days from processing. The Giving Cow milks are specifically designed for food shelves and kids backpack programs to fight hunger and will not be sold in stores.
“Giving back to our local communities is important to us at Kemps,” says Rachel Kyllo, spokesperson for Kemps. “Our Giving Cow milks not only provide valuable nutrition and are shelf-stable, so they don’t require refrigeration, but this year, we’re also doing some chocolate milk packs too, which we know that kids love.”
“HACAP is thrilled to receive this donation from Kemps to help our agency partners safely distribute nutritious and highly sought-after milk to the families experiencing hunger in our communities,” says Kim Guardado, HACAP Food Reservoir Director. “Given the ongoing shortage of milk in our local food bank systems, we’re immensely grateful to generous partners like Kemps.”
For more information about the Giving Cow program and to keep up with how Kemps is helping make a difference, go to givingcow.com and click on the Kemps logo.
