Des Moines, IA, August 28, 2018 – The Great American Milk Drive kicked off an incredible donation to Food Bank of Iowa today, providing more than 750 gallons of milk for Iowans in need. Over the next year, the Food Bank will receive a weekly milk delivery from Dairy Pure, ultimately totaling more than 39,000 gallons of fresh, nutritious milk.

“Milk is wholesome, nutritious, and considered a staple food by most Americans,” said Michelle Book, President and CEO of Food Bank of Iowa. “We are absolutely thrilled that the Great American Milk Drive, Hy-Vee, and Dairy Pure are helping us to provide this excellent product to more Iowans in need than ever before.”

On average, food insecure Americans receive just one gallon of milk per year through food banks. Milk is a rare donation, and purchasing gallons of fresh milk can be very expensive for non-profit food banks. This donation by the Great American Milk Drive will provide Food Bank of Iowa with 500 percent more milk than the organization normally has on inventory. That means much more milk for Iowa children, families, and seniors struggling with food insecurity.

“Having the opportunity to partner with Hy-Vee and the Food Bank of Iowa to deliver much needed Dairy Pure milk to Iowans in need was a very easy decision to make,” said Larry Augustine of Dairy Pure.

This Great American Milk Drive donation comes as the result of a campaign spearheaded by Hy-Vee stores. Hy-Vee cashiers asked customers to consider a donation of the value of either a half-gallon or gallon of milk to help their neighbors in need. The results of the campaign are record-breaking for Food Bank of Iowa.

“As you may have heard, 1 in 9 Iowans is food insecure and 1 in 6 Iowa kids doesn’t get enough to eat,” said Jeff Mallory, store director of the Downtown Hy-Vee Store. “As a grocer, we feel a responsibility and an opportunity to make a difference for our neighbors. With partners like Dairy Pure and of course our great customers, we were able to make a difference with 39,000 gallons of milk!”

Representatives of Hy-Vee, Dairy Pure, and Food Bank of Iowa gathered at the Food Bank’s Des Moines distribution center Tuesday to celebrate the campaign and receive one of the first deliveries of Dairy Pure milk.