Providing for the Community

               Livingston County ANR and 4-H teamed up with Livingston County Helping Hands to participate in the Tri-State Food Banks’s Protein and Dairy giveaway program. This Tri-State Food Bank program helps families that have been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. This program supplies several dairy and protein options as well as other useful food products such as fruits and vegetables. These are then redistributed to families that are in need.

               On October 9, 2020 the Livingston County Extension offered their services to help with the process of distributing these boxes of protein and dairy supplies. First we offered our Extension facilities as a delivery and distribution center. Extension offered this due to our central location in the county. Second we began to contact volunteers to help with the unloading and distribution of the produce. We were able to utilize the volunteer base for the Helping Hands facility as well as our youth who are involved in our 4-H programming and the High School FFA chapter. Thirdly, we began to advertise the program, by using Extensions social media sites, and local radio to get the word out about the program.

               Early on the morning of the 9^th of October a truck load of Proteins, dairy products, fruits and vegetables was delivered at Livingston County Extension facilities. Due to COVID 19 restrictions, precautions were taken. A drive through line was set up at the Livingston County Extension Fair barn parking lot. With volunteers from Extension, Livingston Central high School FFA Chapter, 4-H members, local business, and County workers. Supply Boxes were loaded into cars as they pulled up, keeping contact limited. In total six hundred and fifty one individuals within in Livingston County were able to benefit from this program.