By Amy Tagliareni, Ankeny; candidate for Iowa House
Ankeny is a community known for its growing neighborhoods, strong schools and families who work hard to build a good life. But there is another reality that deserves our attention: some of our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table.
According to the Des Moines Area Religious Council, its food pantry network assisted 3,705 Ankeny residents in fiscal year 2024. Nearly 45 percent of those receiving assistance were new to the network.
Those numbers challenge the assumption that food insecurity is a problem confined to other communities.
One of the pressures facing families is the prolonged increase in the cost of everyday necessities. Grocery prices climbed sharply over several years, and even when inflation slows, those earlier price increases do not simply disappear. Families are still paying more for many of the same groceries they bought a few years ago.
Gasoline prices add another layer of financial strain. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, gasoline prices increased 9.1 percent nationally in September alone. In the Midwest, gasoline prices were 35.5 percent higher than a year earlier.
For families who depend on their vehicles to get to work, take children to school and activities, or attend medical appointments, transportation is not an optional expense.
When the cost of filling the gas tank goes up, there is less money available for groceries. And when food prices remain elevated, even a family with two working parents can find itself struggling to make ends meet.
As a former Ankeny school board member, I am particularly concerned about the consequences for children.
Students need adequate nutrition to concentrate, learn and participate fully in school. When families face financial hardship, the effects do not stop at the classroom door.
Ankeny has organizations working to address these needs. Local food pantries, churches, volunteers and community organizations provide groceries and other essential assistance. Their contributions are invaluable.
But charitable organizations cannot be expected to solve the problem alone. Iowa lawmakers have an opportunity to address food insecurity through practical, targeted legislation.
First, we should expand access to nutritious school meals. Children should not have to worry about whether their families can afford breakfast or lunch. Iowa could expand eligibility for free school meals, reduce the financial burden on families who narrowly miss existing income thresholds, and strengthen school nutrition programs. These investments would help students arrive in the classroom ready to learn.
Second, we should protect access to food assistance for eligible families. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, helps households purchase groceries, but complicated applications and administrative requirements can create barriers. The Legislature should ensure Iowa has the staffing and technology necessary to process applications efficiently, simplify procedures where federal law permits, and help eligible families maintain uninterrupted access to benefits.
Third, we should strengthen partnerships between Iowa farmers and food assistance organizations. Programs that help food banks, schools and pantries purchase Iowa-grown products can provide nutritious food to families while supporting local agricultural producers. Expanding these partnerships would benefit both Iowa households and Iowa’s agricultural economy.
Fourth, we should invest in the capacity of local food pantries. When demand increases, organizations need adequate refrigeration, storage, transportation and staffing. The Legislature could establish targeted grants to help community food assistance organizations expand their capacity and reach more households.
Finally, we should help working families keep more of what they earn. Food insecurity is closely connected to the cost of housing, childcare, healthcare and transportation. Iowa could examine targeted tax relief for lower-income working households, including improvements to the state Earned Income Tax Credit, to help families afford basic necessities.
Of course, these proposals raise an important question: How do we pay for them?
Iowa should start by examining its existing spending priorities, including the tax incentives it provides to businesses. Those incentives should be evaluated to determine whether they deliver measurable benefits to Iowa taxpayers. Where programs fall short, lawmakers should consider redirecting available resources toward priorities such as school nutrition and food assistance.
We should also make full use of available federal funding, strengthen existing partnerships and require clear cost estimates before creating new programs.
Helping families put food on the table deserves the same fiscal scrutiny and accountability we expect from every other state investment.
These are concrete steps lawmakers can consider. They deserve careful evaluation, responsible funding and input from the people who provide food assistance every day.
Iowa’s food pantries are doing essential work, but they should not have to carry the entire burden of addressing hunger. State government has a role in making sure children have access to nutritious meals, eligible families can obtain assistance and community organizations have the resources they need.
Ankeny residents have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to help neighbors. That generosity matters. So does making sure our public policies respond to the conditions families are actually experiencing.
We should measure our community’s well-being not only by how quickly it grows, but also by whether the people who live here can meet their basic needs.
No family should have to choose between filling a gas tank and buying groceries. And no child should have to arrive at school hungry.
Amy Tagliareni is a former member of the Ankeny school board and candidate for House District 42.
