DENVER, Oct. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States today announced a multi-year sponsorship of the National FFA Organization’s Living to Serve Platform.

The FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. A commitment to service has always been a core tenet of FFA and the Living to Serve platform supports that commitment by expanding engagement opportunities for FFA members at local, state and national levels.

Through Living to Serve, FFA chapters throughout the country are able to seek funding for a variety of service-learning projects through a competitive grant application process. CoBank’s three-year, $450,000 grant will support the continued expansion of this popular program, increasing the number of grants to FFA chapters seeking to address issues of:

• Hunger, health and nutrition
• Community engagement
• Community safety
• Environmental responsibility

“CoBank and FFA share a strong commitment to service and support for our nation’s rural communities,” said Thomas Halverson, CoBank’s president and chief executive officer. “Living to Serve is a tangible demonstration of that support. Through our sponsorship of this national program we hope to enable more FFA members to live that commitment every day and to make a difference in the communities they call home.”

“The last line of the FFA motto, Living to Serve, signifies the vital role that service plays in our organization,” said Michele Sullivan, Senior Team Leader of Local Engagement, National FFA Organization. “The Living to Serve platform allows us to take that motto and turn it into action, empowering every student in every classroom to make a positive impact in their community. But, we couldn’t do this without the financial support of generous sponsors like CoBank.”

In addition to Living to Serve projects at the state level, CoBank is a proud sponsor of National FFA Days of Service, which are part of the organization’s upcoming national convention. From Oct. 24, FFA members will participate in a variety of service projects that will put their leadership into action, creating a positive impact throughout the city.

As well as its support of Living to Serve, CoBank also supports FFA through its contributions to Farm Credit’s community engagement programs. Farm Credit is an active supporter of FFA programs that are working to develop the next generation of farmers, ranchers and Farm Credit leaders.

About CoBank

CoBank is a $131 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 more than 70,000 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, rural infrastructure and rural communities. 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 website at cobank.com.

About National FFA Organization

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 669,989 student members as part of 8,630 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is supported by 459,514 alumni members in 2,236 local FFA Alumni chapters throughout the U.S. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

Sherry Johnson
CoBank
(303) 740-6518
sjohnson@cobank.com