(West Des Moines, Iowa -December 2, 2021) – Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation have announced the locations of Operation Christmas Meal, a free pork loin giveaway for families who aren’t planning a Christmas meal due to insufficient funds. This year, Operation Christmas Meal will give away 17,000 boneless pork loins roasts at 13 different events across Iowa, plus an additional 1,500 through the Ignite the Spirit Program aimed at increasing awareness of hunger locally and helping even more families during the holiday season.

Operation Christmas Meal will kick off Friday, December 3rd at 5:00 a.m., at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, and end on Thursday, December 16 at 6:00 p.m. in Algona, at the Bomgaars parking lot. Over the course of five days, Operation Christmas Meal will also travel to Creston, Osceola, Humeston, Ellsworth, Hampton, Osage, Aplington, Hubbard, Iowa Falls, Sac City, and Storm Lake.  (See details for area sites/times, below)

“During an especially difficult time for families in need, Operation Christmas Meal helps create a happy holiday for all Iowans, no matter their circumstances or level of income,” said Jen Sorenson, Communications Director of Iowa Select Farms. “The event is free and open to anyone in need.” Now in its 11th year, Operation Christmas Meal has provided more than one million Christmas meals to Iowa families. The event has become a holiday tradition for the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation with hundreds of Iowa Select Farms employees volunteering to brave the cold to hand out the pork loins year-after-year.

An additional component of Operation Christmas Meal is aimed at increasing awareness of hunger locally and helping even more families during the holiday season. The Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms is awarding cases of pork loins and $250 cash to over 50 local FFA, 4-H, and school-based organizations throughout the counties where Iowa Select Farms has employees and farms. The donations will help student organizations host a community meal, organize and distribute holiday food baskets, or come up with their own idea for providing a meal to families in need. “This is a great opportunity for students to better understand hunger, plan their own unique project or event while also partnering with organizations that provide different areas of support to local families,” said Sorenson. FFA and 4-H clubs will also be provided event kits with insulated totes, aprons, t-shirts, and meat thermometers.

Operation Christmas Meal information for two area communities:

• Creston, Iowa – Old Walmart Parking Lot (next to Tractor Supply), 614 New York Ave.; Tuesday, December 7, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
• Sac City, Iowa – Sac County Fairgrounds, 416 Park Ave.; Thursday, December 16, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Additional information can be found HERE.