October is National Co-op Month, which is an occasion to highlight the good cooperatives do every month of the year. 

Dairyland’s Contributions Committee regularly receives and seeks opportunities to support an incredible variety of organizations, groups and individuals in the region. Between volunteerism, shared expertise and donations, Dairyland and its employees continually make local communities stronger. 

Recently, Dairyland approved funding for two local requests that will ease burdens for our friends and neighbors. Dairyland donated $2,500 to support the Scenic Bluffs Dental Clinic in La Crosse County. We also donated $1,000 to the Living Faith Food Pantry in Viroqua, Wis. 

Dental Clinic Donation: The new dental clinic, operated by Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers, opened in September next to Gundersen Health System’s La Crosse Campus. Scenic Bluffs is a non-profit corporation that delivers primary healthcare services in underserved areas, with a focus on reducing barriers to healthcare. The need for this facility was great. Low income La Crosse County residents could not get the dental care they needed, especially since the 2015 closure of the La Crosse Community Dental Clinic. Annually, over 3,400 patients were treated at this Medicaid coverage-only clinic. Prior to the Scenic Bluffs Dental Clinic opening, there were over 1,700 names on the dental patient wait list. 

Food Pantry Donation: The Living Faith Food Pantry serves Vernon County, which is part of our cooperative service territory. The food pantry has addressed food insecurity in the Viroqua area for 25 years. It distributes 6,000 lbs. of food each week to 160 area households and has been recognized by Second Harvest Food bank as a leader in the distribution of fresh produce.