The Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation has always been dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of fellow Iowans. No matter what's happening in the world around us, we never stop working to help Iowans in need.

True to our mission, we've been busy from April to September with a variety of projects including:

These are just some of the many highlights from the last few months. Read on to get the inside scoop on everything we've been up to!

When spring sprung in April, we sent out nearly 700 Spring Garden Kits to members of Children’s Cancer Connection so they could become budding gardeners. Kiddos as far northwest as Lyon county and as far southeast as Lee county found bright and fun surprise boxes on their doorsteps.

The kids and their families used the provided windowsill greenhouse to start easy-to-grow flowers—zinnias, marigolds, and daisies. After those seeds sprouted and the plants were established, they could be transferred into one of the three pots we sent – along with supplies to decorate them. Some gloves and a water bottle rounded out the kit.

We loved bringing some joy to these special kids’ lives so they could enjoy spring and summer in full bloom.

The Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation have been proud to support the efforts of the Children’s Cancer Connection for many years and we are always thinking of new and innovative ways of what we can do to support these little warriors and their families.

Along with that work, we are also always trying to find ways to show our appreciation for active and reserve military members, veterans, and military families. These past few months were no exception. From April to August, we visited nine different military groups in Iowa to distribute Pork Care Packages and mailed packets to countless more.

Each coupon packet is good for $35 worth of delicious Iowa pork and gives service members the chance to enjoy food and fellowship with their loved ones. We know food brings families together, and meals can be an opportunity for connection, communication, and camaraderie. What better food to celebrate with than our favorite, pork? In total, over 14,450 care packages were delivered to Gold Star families and active and reserve members of the Armed Forces across the state.

Responses from service members with rave reviews have been flooding in, from Davenport to Sioux City. “You guys are awesome, and I just want to let you know how appreciative we are to receive your pork coupon books! We do what we do for people like you,” wrote one pilot from 132d wing out of Des Moines.

The Foundation stayed busy during July fulfilling one of our core missions — fighting food insecurity in Iowa.

During the summer months, food pantries are historically low. With schools out for summer vacation and holiday donations dwindling, it’s tough for food pantries, banks, and community cupboards to keep their shelves stocked and freezers full.

We believe that no matter the time of year, everyone deserves a good meal. To help meet this need, we held our annual six-day effort to Haul Out Hunger.

Iowa Select Farms interns and employees restocked the freezers of rural food pantries located in the communities our employees and their families call home. We loaded almost 30 tons of Iowa Select Farms pork loins onto a semi destined for 94 organizations that support critical hunger relief programs and efforts.

Our team of volunteers worked hard to hand-deliver 10,656 boneless pork loins and 200 Henry's Heroes boxes to Homegrown Iowa communities in 41 counties across the state. Each loin can feed 24 people a three-ounce serving of pork. That’s 255,744 servings of protein-packed pork delivered to families in need in just six days!

In August, we held the annual

Back-to-School Bash in cooperation with Children's Cancer Connection.

More than 130 kids impacted by childhood cancer and their families were a part of the festivities.

Participants rotated through several different school-themed stations including recess on the playground and arts and crafts time spent making three fun back-to-school crafts. Families also enjoyed a delicious meal together during lunchtime in the cafeteria.

The highlight of the event was the backpack station where each child hand-picked their very own backpack and school supplies for the upcoming year. The cost of back-to-school shopping can be a burden for many, so we are humbled to fill this need for families who are going through so much.

The Back-to-School Bash is one of several events and programs organized through our partnership with Children’s Cancer Connection, which serves over 700 families across Iowa.

We believe in showing respect, honor, and appreciation to members of our armed forces, veterans, and their families. We also believe that small gestures make a big difference.

Last year, while in the staging area before the Iowa State Fair Veterans parade, we noticed all the participants patiently and proudly standing near their entries. Catching up, visiting with one another, and joining in fellowship in the sweltering heat that only an Iowa summer can bring.

This year, we decided to offer a simple gesture to help by hand-delivering water and breakfast sandwiches to the nearly 1,700 parade participants representing military organizations from across Iowa while they waited in the heat for the parade to begin.

It’s what the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation’s Project: Food and Fellowship were designed to do—small, simple gestures to show appreciation to those who bravely sacrificed so much.

Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

It's often said to be the award no one wants.

Each year, the last Sunday in September is Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day--a time to show our respect to those who have lost a family member in service to our country and reflect on how indebted we are to every service member for protecting our freedoms.

To honor this day, the Foundation worked with Survivor Outreach Services of Iowa to send all 600 Iowa families in the Survivor Network a blanket in honor of their lost family member. Each blanket and its packaging bear the words 'remember and honor' as a call to action to live out every day. The yellow stitching and stars represent the Gold Star Lapel Button awarded to families of service members who died in combat.

The family members bravely served our country and should be honored for their sacrifice. We can think of no better way of honoring these men and women by an act of service in packaging these blankets for distribution to the surviving families.

Be on the lookout for more news from the Foundation as we strive to make a difference in our Homegrown Iowa communities. You can always check out our most recent annual report here.