Derry Township, P.A. - Led by local farmers, communities across Pennsylvania are coming together to lend a helping hand to sick children and their families. Volunteers gathered at the Hershey Ronald McDonald House to help unload boxes of donated canned and packaged goods. Those donations will go directly to the families the non-profit serves. It's part of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's "Farmers Care" program. Farm bureaus in sixteen different counties held collection drives for food, money and other items for Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the state.
"Whereas rural communities further out have couple hour drive if not more to get to the hospital with children everyday, so the Ronald McDonald house provides a home away from home for those families through love and support and food and so many services to benefit those families," said Jackie Matter of the PA Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee.
The "Farmer's Care" program has collected more than $900,000 for the Ronald McDonald House charity since it started in 1998. This year, farm bureau leaders hope to exceed $1 million in donations.