Volunteers pack food.

Volunteers pack food.

A food bank in northwest Iowa received a big donation Friday.

 Tyson Fresh Meats presented Food Bank of Siouxland Director Linda Scheid with a $50,000 grant for a program that feeds school children from low-income families on weekends.

“We’re so excited because we had already made the commitment to take on two new schools this year and that’s a little nerve-racking when you take on those commitments,” Scheid said. The Food Bank of Siouxland is now serving eight area schools and 1,800 children with the “backpack” program. Tyson is also donating a semi truck full of meat.

“This is a truckload of chicken,” Scheid said. “We took about 10 to 12 pallets off it right away. They have the rest of it in cold storage for us here in Sioux City, so when we’re ready for more, we’ll go pick up another 4 to 6 pallets at a time.” Tyson officials presented the donations to Scheid at the company’s 50th anniversary celebration of their beef processing plant located in nearby Dakota City, Nebraska.

By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City