The Wells County kid’s food backpack program “Feeding Tomorrow’s Future Today” recently received a grant of $15,000 from the Valero Benefit for Children, thanks to the Valero Texas Open golf tournament and associated events. 

Pictured above are the Bluffton Valero Renewables employees presenting the check to the backpack volunteers. Pictured left to right, are Shawn Stafford, engineering manager; Bruce Snyder, QA/QC manager; Gretta Nusbaumer, backpack volunteer, Nora Ruble, granddaughter; Susan Girod, backpack volunteer; Justin Moen, plant manager; Kent Ulmer, 4-H association president; Matt Wilson, production manager; and Steve Shafer, health and safety environmental manager. (Photo provided)

“Valero is helping to make a difference with the hunger issue in our community. Their grant will help to purchase food in the coming months that will be used in the weekly distribution of food bags that are delivered to Wells County Schools,” said Susan Girod, backpack volunteer. 

Thanks to the generous support of Valero’s business partners, donors and sponsors, more than $22 million in net proceeds from the Valero Texas Open have been distributed to agencies across the United States, supporting the work of hundreds of outstanding charity partners like the Feeding Tomorrow’s Future Today. 

In Wells County, Valero Renewables operates the ethanol plant at the southwest edge of Bluffton. The 70 employees and staff each year have volunteered by helping pack food bags and collect needed food items to assist the backpack program. 

The backpack program distributes approximately 100 bags of food each week to hungry kids for the weekend and is coordinated by 4-H volunteers with assistance from the Purdue Extension Service – Wells County Office. For more information about the program contact Gretta Nusbaumer, 765-499-1412 or Susan Girod, 260-827-8393. 

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