The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program (SWAP) is helping feed our most vulnerable community members this holiday season by donating pigs raised at the program’s farm to two local non-profit organizations.
The donation of two pigs, a total of 280 pounds of pork, to the Eureka Rescue Mission and the Humboldt County Senior Resource Center was made possible through the generosity of Dax Williamson of Williamson Wealth Advisors, who funded all costs associated with the processing of the pigs, and Redwood Meat Company, who greatly reduced the processing costs.
“This donation ensures that the guests of the Eureka Rescue Mission, both our Women and Children's Shelter and Men's Shelter, will be blessed with sufficient tasty protein especially during the up-and-coming winter months,” said Bryan Hall, executive director of the Eureka Rescue Mission.
The donation marks the third consecutive year the program has been able to feed vulnerable communities during the holidays.
“SWAP started the pig donation when COVID-19 first began due to the lack of donations during that time,” Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program Sergeant Lee Myers said. “We decided to make this an annual donation so that we can continue to help the community during the good times and bad.”
The SWAP Farm is a sustainable agriculture program where low-level offenders are able to work off their sentence through gardening and taking care of livestock. The farm raises pigs, cattle and chickens, and has a thriving garden, which together provide fresh pork, beef, eggs and produce to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility, offsetting the costs to feed incarcerated individuals. In addition to the annual pig donation, the SWAP farm regularly supports local community organizations through the donation of produce grown onsite. Over the last year, the program donated more than 1,300 pounds of produce, distributed to a variety of community non-profits.
To learn more about the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program, visit: https://humboldtgov.org/2365/Work-Alternative-Program.
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