In small towns throughout the United States, volunteer fire departments play a vital role in ensuring public safety – often with a minimum of financial resources.

At the direction of local farmer Jim Jackson, the Monsanto Fund has made a $5,000 donation that will pay for gear to keep Lehigh’s volunteer firefighters safe.

Jackson won a drawing through the Monsanto Fund that enabled him to direct a $2,500 grant to the nonprofit organization of his choice.

Since Webster County was declared a disaster area by the United States Department of Agriculture because of drought-related crop losses, the Monsanto Fund allowed Jackson to direct the award of a second $2,500 grant.

Jackson chose to give both grants, a total of $5,000, to the Lehigh Fire Department.

“A lot of the time, they give a lot of their time to be a fireman,” Jackson told The Messenger.

At present, the department is also undertaking a larger fundraiser to obtain $500,000 for a new firehouse.

We applaud Monsanto and Jackson’s dedication to the department and urge others to follow this example.