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Farm Bureau Insurance agents across South Carolina spread holiday cheer by helping those in their local communities facing financial or medical hardships by donating more than $44,750 through Farm Bureau Cares.

“Through Farm Bureau Cares, a company-sponsored holiday community outreach program, our county Farm Bureau offices across South Carolina are able to provide monetary donations during December to help a family or charity of their choice,” Susan Merrill, director of marketing, said. “Farm Bureau Insurance matches each local donation made by the County Farm Bureau and the local Farm Bureau Insurance agents.”

The program was started in 2015 by Bill Courtney, CEO of South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, with the support of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation. Courtney pledged to each local office that the insurance company would match up to $500 in donations made by each local office to assist a local charity or individual in need over the holidays. Each local office decides how to best put their Farm Bureau Cares donation to work in their own community. With first-hand knowledge of personal situations and needs in their communities, agents and employees in the local offices have generously given to the program over the last six years.

“As an insurance company, we are here when people need us most and the Farm Bureau Cares program is no exception,” Scott Hill, district sales manager, said.

While many Farm Bureau Insurance offices selected an individual or family to assist with their 2021 Farm Bureau Cares donations, other offices opted to support local charities. Charities that received a 2021 donation included Blanketing Families, C4 Ministries, Calhoun County Deptarment of Social Services, Cole’s Victory Lap, Connie Maxwell Home for Girls, Creative Church Food Ministry, Fairfield Community Food Bank, Fairfield School District, Friends of Colleton County Animal Services, Hearts for Summerville, Lakeview Assisted Living, Lee County Shared Hope, Manning Elementary School’s Pennies for Presents, Richland School District 2 fund for at-need children, Mount Moriah Soup Kitchen, Samaritan House of Orangeburg, Turbeville Children's Home, United Christian Ministries of Abbeville, United Ministries of Clinton, Windwood Farm Home for Boys, along with many more.

“Farm Bureau Cares upholds our company’s core values of supporting our members and communities,” Merrill said. “We are proud to support local charities and individuals in need across the state each year and would like to thank all of the offices that participated in 2021’s Farm Bureau Cares holiday outreach program.”