DULUTH, Ga. — The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development, is expanding its COVID-19 Aid Program to support four non-profit organizations in North America.

The COVID-19 Aid Program has committed $500,000 in funding to non-profit organizations since its launch last month. The amount of grant funding in North America is $78,300, and the funds will be used in communities where AGCO’s customers, dealers, suppliers and employees live and work.

“The AGCO Agriculture Foundation is committed to making long-term impacts in our vulnerable communities as the presence of COVID-19 calls for ongoing support,” said Metti Richenhagen, managing director, AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “We are proud to provide local funding to support local resources and initiatives to help people in North America who are impacted by the pandemic and economic uncertainty.”

Each non-profit organization will utilize the donation differently to provide the greatest impacts to their communities. The recipients include:

Feeding America
Feeding America responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a national food- and fund-raising effort to support people facing hunger and the food banks that help them. Feeding America has also partnered with school districts and local government agencies to ensure the 22 million children who rely on school meals have access to food outside the classroom. The AAF will provide Feeding America with $52,200 across six locations. For more information, please see www.feedingamerica.org.

Flint River Fresh
Flint River Fresh launched a Produce Box pilot program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Albany, Ga., residents will receive a hot meal purchased from a locally owned restaurant and a box of fresh, healthy produce, sourced directly from Flint River Fresh community sites in Albany and emphasizing Georgia Grown for supplemental produce. The AAF will provide Flint River Fresh with $8,700. For more information, please see www.flintriverfresh.org.

Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation
Kane County, Ill., farmers have proven farming is essentially a humanitarian enterprise through the Foundation’s Harvest for ALL hunger relief effort. The Food Forward program gets kids excited about the industry and teaching them how their food is raised. The donation will also aid the Ag Literacy initiatives to educate the Kane County community at all levels on food, nutrition, and the latest technology in agriculture. The AAF will provide Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation with $8,700. For more information, please see www.kanecountyfarmbureau.com.

Peoria Area Food Bank
Peoria Area Food Bank provides 80 pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters in Illinois with large quantities of food from name brand manufacturers and USDA commodities on a daily basis. They also operate two mobile food pantries in Mason County and assist eight pantries that provide backpacks to hundreds of children on the weekend. The backpacks are dispersed to qualifying children on Friday afternoon by various schools. The AAF will provide Peoria Area Food Bank with $8,700. For more information, please see www.peoriafoodbank.org.

“AGCO’s mission is to support farmers and ranchers across North America in any way we can,” said Bob Crain, senior vice president and general manager of AGCO North America. “We firmly believe that the agriculture industry is essential, and our top priority is maintaining access to food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic fight.”