A “Beefy” Donation: 900lbs of meat donated to Benny’s Pantry at ISU

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Students on campus at ISU have pounds, 900lbs to be specific, of ground beef to get from Benny's Pantry thanks to a generous donation from Direct Communications through the Power County Livestock Sale Committee. Today's cow-sized donation doubles last year's haul of ground beef, giving more students access to high-quality protein.

Early in the morning on September 30, volunteers with Benny's Pantry and representatives from the 4H and FFA Programs at the Power County Fair transported 900lbs of packaged ground beef through the Student Union Building to the student food bank. This marks the second year Benny's Pantry has received a sizeable drop of beef.

"We wanted to be able to give back to the students so they can have the food they need, because they're the future generation," said Timothy May, President of Direct Communications. May partnered with the livestock officials from Power County to make the donation to ISU's student pantry. To them, it means investing in the future generation of employees and entrepreneurs.

"If they're not able to get enough food to do well in their classes and to survive and things like that," May stated. "Then they're not going to be able to succeed in life in general."

Benny's Pantry is always grateful for donations, even more so when they include fresh, unfrozen produce and meats.

"This donation is just such a beautiful, beautiful gift."

- Lisa Crawford, Director of Benny's Pantry

Lisa Crawford, Director of Benny's Pantry, said students are extremely grateful when they walk in and see high quality protein available.

"This is going to help feed so many students," Crawford said. "They're going to be able to take it home and make a healthy and full meal with it. One of my favorite parts of working in the pantry is seeing the true appreciation when students come in and find something that they're going to enjoy and that's nutricious."

Crawford said last years' beef donation went flying off the shelves, and she hopes by increasing the amount of beef, more students can be fed. Unlike other food pantries that make food boxes for patrons, Benny's Pantry allows students to grab a basket like in a grocery store and choose items they really want.

"We could not make any of this happen without our volunteers, we rely heavily on them," Crawford explained. "We also take unopened, not-expired food donations right in the pantry."

The story of the hefty 900lbs of beef starts long before it filled the shelves of Benny's Pantry. The animals that provided the meat were raised by 4H and FFA Member kids in Power County.

"At the Spring weigh-in, they essentially start their project to raise this animal, feed it, train it and ultimately it teaches the child responsibility," said Travis Mills, Chairman of the Power County 4H FFA Livestock/Fat Stock Sale Committee. "Not only in work ethic, but also financially because they've got the costs to purchase, feed and take care of that animal."

Once the animals are show ready, the kids compete their livestock in multiple categories. Following the competition, people can purchase the animals.

"As the Fat Stock Sale Committee, we've added a new layer to this where we allow people to purchase these animals and do a double good and donate it to a food bank of their choice," Mills said. "Direct Communications has always been one of our very top sponsors and they always encourage us to think out of the box and do something new."

Mills said that by donating to Benny's Pantry, they are simultaneously supporting the 4H FFA kids as well as collegiate students in need at ISU. He added the quality of the meat donated to the pantry is far better than what you can find for reasonable prices in the grocery stores.

"There are absolutely no byproducts," he said. "This meat is, as we say, right off the bone. As natural as you can get, processed right here in Idaho."

Mills said their piece of the donation process wouldn't be possible without the volunteers as well. No one is employed to administer the programs involved, and Mills said the work goes from the spring to the fall to ensure livestock quality every year.