The Mission Continues Announces $37,500 Contribution from CoBank and Northwest Farm Credit Services
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) July 31, 2013 -- The Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based national veterans service organization, announced today that it has received a $37,500 joint commitment from CoBank and Northwest Farm Credit Services, members of the Farm Credit System and leading providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy.
The Mission Continues empowers veterans to successfully transition to leadership roles here at home through volunteerism. By awarding community service fellowships to post-9/11 veterans, our returning service members are able to transform their own lives by serving others and directly impacting their communities. This contribution will be allocated to support community service fellowships for veterans interested in working in agriculture and in rural America.
“The Mission Continues has an amazing track record of success helping American veterans who have sacrificed for their country to transition back to civilian life,” said Bob Engel, CoBank’s chief executive officer. “We’re enormously proud to be partnering with this great organization and supporting the wonderful work they do in the community.”
“We’re very excited to join CoBank in helping to connect these capable veterans to assist agricultural producers in our state,” said Northwest Farm Credit Services President and CEO Phil DiPofi. “We sincerely appreciate the contribution these individuals have made for our country and we are honored to help them transition into their next phase of life.”
Specifically, the CoBank and Northwest Farm Credit Services funds will be used to provide Mission Continues service and leadership fellowships to three, post-9/11 veterans where they will serve up to 20 hours a week for six months. Two veterans will serve their fellowships at Growing Washington, a nonprofit in Bellingham, Washington that promotes sustainable agriculture and local farming. Fellows will be engaged in activities ranging from educating the public on sustainable crop production to conducting outreach to food insecure populations so they can take advantage of their programs. The third Fellow will serve at the TREE Program in Lakewood, Washington working with youth and veterans to develop community gardens.
“The Mission Continues has built important collaborations with Growing Washington and the TREE program. They’re helping farmers and ranchers across Washington State embrace sustainability for their customers,” said Spencer Kympton, president of The Mission Continues. “Support from these Farm Credit institutions will enable veterans who have a passion for agriculture, to successfully transition to civilian life, while supporting a vital sector of the economy. We recognize the long-term impact on the community and the veteran can only be made possible through generous contributions such as these.”
About Mission Continues
The Mission Continues is a national nonprofit organization that empowers U.S. military veterans, who have served since the events of 9/11, to successfully transition to post-military careers by reconnecting to their communities and their sense of purpose through volunteerism. Founded in 2007 by retired Navy SEAL and TIME 100 2013 honoree Eric Greitens, The Mission Continues has helped nearly 700 post-9/11 veterans focus their talents and energy to tackle challenges facing us right here at home. Through a unique model that provides reciprocal benefit for the veteran and the local community—six-month service fellowships—veterans volunteer to help others and, through their service, build new skills that help them launch their civilian career. For more information, please visit http://www.missioncontinues.org or follow us on Twitter @missioncontinue.
About CoBank
CoBank is a $95 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation's rural economy.
Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's web site at http://www.cobank.com.
About Northwest Farm Credit Services
Northwest FCS provides approximately $11 billion in financing and related services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, rural homeowners and crop insurance customers in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Northwest FCS is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions that provide approximately $192 billion in loans to rural America. For more information, go to http://www.northwestfcs.com.
Laura L'Esperance, The Mission Continues, (212) 430-6549, [email protected]
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