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Chaves County Farm Bureau gives $500 to Assurance Home

Karen Boehler
Record Sports Writer - Roswell Daily Record
February 18, 2009

Ron Malone, executive director of the Assurance Home in Roswell, accepts a $500 check from Chaves County Farm Bureau members, from left, Aron Balok, regional director of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, Helen White, Women’s Committee chairwoman, and Farm Bureau member Melinda Jackson. A check is presented each year during Food Check-Out Week. (Daily Record/Karen Boehler)

Every year, Americans spend an average of 10 percent of their income on food. That means, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that around the third week in February Americans have made enough money to pay for a year's supply of food.

From that thinking, National Food Check-Out Day and, beginning in 2007, National Food-Check Out Week, was born.

The idea was hatched in 1998 by South Carolina Farm Bureau members as a way of honoring the contributions of farmers and ranchers and promoting the voice of agriculture. Since then, it's become a national celebration, supported by state Farm Bureaus, "to celebrate the abundance and safety of food."

"As farmers, we want to promote our food. That it is good, safe food," said Helen White, Women's Committee chairwoman for the Chaves County Farm Bureau.

"It's a quality product at a good, safe price," added Melinda Jackson, a Farm Bureau Member from Lake Arthur.

Nationally, Farm Bureaus have used the week-long celebration as a way to donate to worthy causes, in particular Ronald McDonald Houses. Through 2007, state and county Farm Bureaus had given more than $2.3 million in monetary and food donations.

In Chaves County, the local Farm Bureau chose the Assurance Home, a non-profit United Way Agency that houses abused and neglected children, as the group they would donate to. And four years ago, they began giving $500 yearly checks to the Home, something Executive Director Ron Malone said is most appreciated.

"We couldn't do what we do without the help from the wonderful community, so we appreciate this very, very much," he said. "We have 18 to 20 teenagers here at a time. They love to eat, and I think the Farm Bureau realizes that our grocery bill is substantial, and this helps us very much. We appreciate their help in feeding our children."

Malone said while the organization has other needs, they put the money donated from the Farm Bureau where it's most needed.

"We like to make sure we use the money they give us to put food on the table," Malone said Wednesday, during a check presentation. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You don't realize how much this helps us."

This year, in recognition of current economic condition, the Food Check-Out week theme is "Stretching your food dollar with healthy, nutritious food."