Operation Christmas Meal provides 1,000 pork loins to Hampton residents

A heartfelt taste of holiday cheer came to Hampton last week in five-pound packages.

Iowa Select Farms, through the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, brought its annual Operation Christmas Meal pork loin do-nation to Hampton last Tuesday. The effort distributed at least 1,000 five-pound pork loins to guests in Hampton and was one of 12 Operation Christmas Meal events throughout Iowa.

Allyson Mathison, communications specialist for Iowa Select Farms, said the return of the event for its ninth year was up in the air given the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately, Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation representatives knew that the service was needed this year more than ever. Hampton’s response to the distribution on Tuesday proved that mindset, Mathison said.

“When we got here, their tons of cars lined up, so we started the event early and handed out 100 pork loins in the first minute,” she said. “For sure 2020 has been a tough year…today’s turnout is a reflection of that, so we’re just fortunate we were able to figure out a way to have Operation Christmas Meal safely and socially distanced.”

Along with the distribution site, Iowa Select Farm volunteers also donated pork loins to local organizations and area 4-H and FFA chapters were given a number of pork loins to host their own mini-event.

In order to safely conduct the event and adhere to COVID-19 protocols, volunteer numbers were cut to 10 and workers were required to wear masks. The biggest distribution event in Des Moines was cancelled because of the number of volunteers required Mathison said that the changes required some planning, but the adjustments were worth keeping the ability to make sure families in need received a good source of protein for their holiday meals.

“We worked really hard to make this event as safe and socially distanced as we could so we could have it while protecting our employees and the families that need the support,” she said. “The idea of not having it was truly devastating…but we did everything we could to make it possible today and our employees were willing to do whatever it took.”

She said the event was especially significant to farmers who volunteered at the event, as it is an opportunity for them to personally thank the communities in which they work, which is another reason why a great effort was made to bring back Operation Christ-mas Meal.

“It’s such a great opportunity for our employees to give back,” she said. “They’re on farms all day every day and Operation Christ-mas Meal is one of the few programs where they can come out and give back to their communities. We know it’s something they look forward to every year.”

For the last nine years, Mathison said the event has struck an emotional chord with those who line up to receive the pork loins and those who distribute them. Tears of joy, smiles and laughter, along with Christmas carols, fill the air for the entirety of the two-hour distribution. While many of the smiles were hidden by masks, Mathison said the emotions of all involved were magnified given the difficulties 2020 had posed.

“We always say we give with joy and Operation Christmas Meal is a direct reflection of that,” she said. “It really is an event that encompasses all that is great about Christmas and that’s hope for the future, joy and just remembering that it’s better to give than to receive.

“It’s just about appreciating the little things and I think this year has been a really big reminder of that,” she said.