Mac King, center, selected Robeson House to receive a $2,500 donation from America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. He is pictured with representatives of Robeson House.

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LUMBERTON — Robeson House is closer to hiring an additional social worker thanks to the support of local farmer, Mac King, and America’s Farmers Grow Communities.

Sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, Grow Communities provides eligible farmers the chance to win a $2,500 donation for a local nonprofit of their choice.

King selected Robeson House to receive the $2,500 donation. Established in 1976, Robeson House was one of the first emergency shelters for children in North Carolina. The home provides temporary and emergency care for children ages 7 to 17.

“An additional social worker will enable us to expand the counseling services we provide to the children. Plus, the social worker will help connect parents with community resources,” said Teresa Leggett, executive director of Robeson House.

This year, the Monsanto Fund will invest nearly $6 million in rural America through Grow Communities, which includes double donations for counties that have been declared natural disaster areas by the United States Department of Agriculture due to drought.

In North Carolina, $110,000 is being given across 43 counties.

America’s Farmers Grow Communities is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to partner with farmers in helping them help their communities. This program is part of the Monsanto Fund’s overall effort to strengthen rural America.