Community Food Bank Aims to Help Johnson County Families with Strike Out Hunger Food Drive

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Krystal Kabela, director of the food bank, and Lynette Seigley of Iowa City unwrap donation boxes to Community Crisis Services and the Iowa City Food Bank in this November 2020 Gazette file photo. donations to supply her food bank to help families facing food insecurity this summer. (Rebecca F. Miller / The Gazette)

Everyone looks forward to the sun and the fun that summer brings, but for families struggling with food insecurity, summer can bring additional stress as well. Summer can also be difficult for local food banks as donations slow and the need for services increases.

“Summer can be a very difficult time when the kids are at home, and for some families it is even more difficult to meet grocery needs at home, and they have to rely even more on pantries. Said CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Pantry Executive Director Sarah Nelson.

“Usually peak donation season is around the holidays – that’s when people tend to think about donations and where to give,” she added. “So it can be especially important to organize a food drive in the summer to make sure we are well supplied and able to meet the needs of the families we serve. “

Running through the month of July, The Strike Out Hunger Food Drive aims to keep the pantry stocked with groceries and other necessities Johnson County families might need to make ends meet.

One in four families in the United States is on the brink of food insecurity, according to a 2020 report from Feeding America. And in Johnson County, an estimated 3,500 children are food insecure.

Most children in this group rely on their school’s free breakfast and lunch as their main meals during the school year. When school is over for the summer, these same children are less likely to receive full meals.

This is where CommUnity comes in.

“In June, we served 3,110 households, which is an increase of 474 households from May, which illustrates what we can see in the summer,” Nelson said. “And that’s in addition to the 1,400 children the pantry is already serving.”

Steve Schuette of Iowa City stacks cans at Community Crisis Services and the Iowa City Food Bank in this November 2020 Gazette file photo. CommUnity encourages donations to supply its food bank to help families facing food insecurity this summer. (Rebecca F. Miller / The Gazette)

In addition, from June to August, at least 200 children and their families will visit the community crisis services and food bank pantry for the first time ever.

Nelson said she expects the number of new customers accessing the food bank to continue to increase.

“The demand is definitely increasing,” she said. “You know, it’s so hard to tell if this increase is due to the pandemic (COVID-19), but we know families are still suffering the economic fallout from the pandemic. It’s a reality. What we do know is that families of all sizes and means are struggling to make ends meet and the demand for our services continues to increase. And that’s what makes workouts like this so important to us.

There is no income requirement to receive pantry help other than being a Johnson County resident, Nelson said.

“We don’t need any documentation or proof of need,” Nelson said. “We want the process to be as easy and welcoming as possible. And that’s something I’m extremely proud of, because you know it takes a lot of courage to get into a pantry. It’s not usually something that people are very comfortable doing, so we try to keep the barriers low enough because we don’t want to deter anyone from accessing healthy food.

There are several options available for people to donate, Nelson said. Food donations can be brought to the Pepperwood Plaza Food Pantry at 1045 Highway 6 East in Iowa City or donors can make a financial donation through the pantry website at https://builtbycommunity.org/donations/ .

Additionally, if local businesses want to organize their own food drives with their employees or put a donation box in an area where their customers can access it, Nelson said that CommUnity can often help them if they need barrels or collection bins.

“We can also make arrangements to collect donations if they cannot afford to deposit donations in the pantry,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the pantry serves around 2,500 to 3,000 households per month, and even what seems like a small donation can have a big impact.

“A donation of $ 100 can feed a child for breakfast all summer,” she said. “And a donation of $ 75 feeds a single parent and child for two months. So, someone’s donation can have an impact in different ways. And we’re really lucky that the community is responding very well to our requests for help with food drives and donations to the food bank.

The Strike Out Hunger food drive continues throughout July, but donations can be made year-round.

Those wondering what to give can refer to the Food Bank’s Top 10 Needs List:

1. Financial donations

2. Canned fruit in juice

3. Peanut butter

4. Canned meat

5. Baby diapers

6. Baby preparation

7. Rice and pasta

8. Hearty soups and stews

9. Toilet paper

10. Laundry detergent

For more information on how to give or what to give, visit the CommUnity donation page at: https://builtbycommunity.org/donations/.

Comments: (319) 398-8238; [email protected].

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