Contribution to American Red Cross Will Support Immediate Relief Efforts to Impacted Communities
Omaha – (June 26, 2014) –Three Farm Credit organizations have committed $25,000 to support disaster relief efforts in Nebraska, where each serves rural communities affected by recent storms.
The joint contribution to the American Red Cross comes from AgriBank (St. Paul, Minn.), CoBank (Denver, Colo.) and Farm Credit Services of America (Omaha, Neb.) The Red Cross has provided temporary shelter for tornado victims, mobile food programs and first aid services, as well as emotional support. The Farm Credit funds help the Red Cross meet the needs of individuals and entire communities.
“We are grateful to Farm Credit for their generous gift and timely response,” said Tina Labellarte, Region CEO, American Red Cross. “The Red Cross responds to more than 70,000 disasters in the United States every year. We couldn’t do what we do without the generosity of our donors.”
“All Farm Credit organizations share a common mission, which is to support agriculture and the other key sectors of the rural economy in good times and bad,” said Mike Hechtner, central region president for CoBank in Omaha. “Our hearts go out to the people who have been impacted by these storms, and we hope that this contribution will help to address some of the most immediate needs in the community.”
“Our employees have had the opportunity to work alongside storm victims as they clean up their homes, farms and communities,” said Doug Stark, CEO and president of Farm Credit Services of America. “The determination and can-do spirit shown by those whose lives have been upended is inspirational. But we also understand that it will take time and resources for affected communities to recover. Our hope is that these donated funds serve as a foundation for rebuilding.”
Keri Votruba, a cattle and grain operator in Hemingford, Neb. and a member of the AgriBank Board of Directors said the gift was personal for him: “The devastation is heartbreaking. And it puts the spotlight on rural communities – like mine – that often get overlooked because their populations are small. But their contribution is huge. These communities are the lifeblood of American agriculture. And we want to honor that contribution by being there for them in their time of need.”
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About Farm Credit
For nearly a century, Farm Credit has been a national provider of credit and related services to rural America through its cooperative network of customer-owned lending institutions. Farm Credit provides more than $190 billion in loans and leases to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, aquatic producers, timber harvesters, agribusinesses, and agricultural and rural utility cooperatives. For more information about the Farm Credit System, please visit www.farmcredit.com.
Contact:
Sherry Johnson
Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility
CoBank
720-320-5685
sjohnson@cobank.com
