By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Prairie Land Food, a 501(c)3 non-profit agency, is collaborating with Families And Communities Together to help raise money for emergency financial aid to people in Marion County.

According to Linda Ogden, executive director of FACT, the aid fund has been reduced to zero in recent months and donations are desperately needed.

June Glasgow, director of Prairieland Food in this area, gave a presentation Friday in Hillsboro at an interagency meeting of FACT, formerly known as Communities in Schools of Marion County.

Glasgow said individuals could save money on food and at the same time give to a good cause by participating in Prairie Land Food.

Prairie Land provides monthly packs of food, including high quality frozen meat and fresh vegetables, at reduced prices. The program is supported solely by participants and is made possible through arrangements with food merchants for bulk purchases.

There are no income requirements, but participants are asked to list volunteer services they have performed.

“Everyone is a volunteer,” Glasgow said.

Volunteer activities cover a broad scope of things done for others, such as baby-sitting for friends or relatives, praying, teaching Sunday school, singing in the church choir, and helping a friend or neighbor.

Prairie Land Food has begun a “Give Back Grant” program in Marion County using a $2,200 donation from Cargill Inc. The money will help struggling families with their initial purchase of the monthly food packs.

FACT and Prairieland are collaborating to recruit more people to the food program. They have set a goal of selling 150 packs of food per month. For every pack of food purchased by someone connected to or referred by FACT, Prairieland will donate $1 to FACT’s Family Financial Assistance Fund.

“We want to be active in the community, and with FACT, we are working toward a common goal,” Glasgow said.

Information on food packages is available online at prairielandfood.com or by contacting Glasgow at June@prairielandfood.com.