Iowa Premium staff presented South Tama Superintendent Jared Smith with a check totaling $30,000 to assist the district in purchasing iPad computer devices for students on Thursday, May 28. Iowa Premium general manager Join Surman made hands the check to Smith.

“We are proud to be part of the greater Tama community. During these challenging times, we are helping our Iowa Premium family and the community with immediate needs,” said Jon Surman, general manager of the Iowa Premium plant, which is part of the National Beef organization. “To assist students who have had to shift to distance learning, we have given the South Tama School District a grant to purchase $30,000 in iPads and computers.

To help our first responders protect their staff and patients, we have purchased an easy-to-use decontamination system for both the Tama and Toledo ambulance systems, police cars, and fire trucks.  To stimulate our local economy, we’ve purchased $50,000 in gift cards, which are helping residents support our vital community businesses.

And to help those in need, we’ve provided more than $100,000 in assistance to the Tama Food Pantry, the Marshalltown Food Pantry, the Marshalltown Salvation Army, the House of Compassion, and the Cedar Rapids Intercultural Center and Learning Center with Rama Muso. We are always looking for opportunities to help our community grow and recover from this pandemic.”

The South Tama food Pantry rent on its downtown Tama location was paid for a year by Iowa Premium and is also paying for new freezers are to be delivered soon.