As 2024 draws to a close, the Iowa Hunger Coalition (IHC) is making one final push to persuade Gov. Kim Reynolds to participate in the USDA Summer EBT for Children program in 2025. That program, also known as SUN Bucks, provides $40 a month per child to a family’s SNAP benefit card during the three […]
food pantry
Posted inCommunity/News
Nestled in a Dubuque neighborhood, Convivium grows, cooks and shares a wealth of fresh food every week
Contributing a casserole to the potluck is basic Midwest manners. Casseroles are simple to heat, freeze, share and fill up on, not to mention a great vehicle for both healthy and tasty ingredients. Finding a neighbor at the door holding their famous tater-tot casserole can provide much-needed comfort during a time of grief or struggle. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds rejects millions in aid for food-insecure Iowa families (again), instead asking feds to fund her own ‘monthly box’ program
On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she is again refusing to allow Iowans to participate in a USDA program that provides millions of dollars in direct assistance to families with children to help cover the increased cost of food during summer months when kids aren’t in school. “In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines area food banks see a record-breaking surge in people needing assistance as June begins
Food banks always see an increase in the number of people who need help at the beginning of summer, as school vacations begin and kids no longer have easy access to the meals at school. But even with that expected increase, the surge the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network experienced this week […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Photos: Table to Table’s big potato rescue
Little Village captured photos at Table to Table’s potato packing party on Friday, March 15. The nonprofit received a donation of an entire semi truckload of russet potatoes (an estimated 58,000 pounds). Volunteers from United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties and 5224Good sorted and moved the spuds into more manageable boxes. Table to Table […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa food banks in ‘dire situation,’ anticipate more strain if governor signs restrictions on SNAP benefits
Food banks across the state continue to struggle to meet the needs of their communities as food insecurity rises in Iowa. On Tuesday morning, CommUnity Crisis Services in Iowa City sent out a news release to let the public know the strain its food bank is under. The food bank, which expanded in 2020 and […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Table to Table needs help after catalytic converter theft takes two food rescue vans out of commission
Table to Table (T2T) has become one of the leaders in the fight against hunger in Iowa since its founding in 1996, collecting food that would otherwise be thrown away from restaurants, grocery stores and farms, and then distributing it to organizations that serve people experiencing or on the cusp of food insecurity. With food […]
Posted inCommunity/News
UI food pantry to receive $25,000 from student government amid surge in use
The Food Pantry at Iowa, which serves members of the University of Iowa community, will receive $25,000 from the University Student Government’s contingency fund. The UI Undergraduate Student Government (USG) voted to direct those funds to the pantry during its meeting on Tuesday, the Daily Iowan reported. The contingency fund “supports larger-scale projects that help […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Grad students need a living wage to succeed
By Stephen Voyce, Iowa City A response to Adria Carpenter’s article, “Use of the UI food pantry is up, with international students disproportionately relying on the support” For the past three years I’ve served as the Director of Graduate Studies in the English department at the University of Iowa. During this time, our department was […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Use of the UI food pantry is up, with international students disproportionately relying on the support
Rajorshi Das had visited the University of Iowa’s food pantry before, mostly out of curiosity. But rising food costs have since made it difficult to buy kitchen staples, even from supermarkets like Aldi and Walmart. So they’ve gone to the food pantry more and more, now out of necessity. “I have seen a very discernible […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Urban Dreams community food pantry served more than 160 Cedar Rapids families in its first month
In its first month, a new Cedar Rapids community food pantry has served the needs of more than 160 families. The community pantry, which opened in mid-April, is a project of Urban Dreams, a Des Moines-based nonprofit. Elizabeth Buch, workforce development coordinator at Urban Dreams, said the number is great but that the food pantry […]
