In a time where there is a large amount of uncertainty surrounding government funding, food banks and pantries across the country are certain of one thing: food insecurity is only going to get worse if things don’t change. Here in Iowa, we are seeing hunger growing in each of the 99 counties. It’s an invisible issue to many, but your neighbors could be silently struggling to find the resources to take care of their next meal. This month is Hunger Action Month, so there’s been no better time to help out those neighbors and bring awareness to this issue. Annette Hacker, chief communications and strategy officer at the Food Bank of Iowa, said food insecurity impacts every community, even if you can’t see it.
Hacker said there are opportunities across the state for volunteers to make an impact in their community.
Food insecurity really began to take off again in 2022 after the end of several pandemic-era benefits. The problem was made exponentially worse when the budget reconciliation bill- which is the largest cut to food aid in U.S. history- went into effect. Hacker said there’s one thing they know for sure: the lines at food banks and pantries are going to keep growing without any additional aid.
Over the next two years, approximately 6 billion meals will be lost through the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And while groups like Feeding America are working hard to fill in this gap, they can’t compare to what SNAP can do. In fact, for every meal that Feeding America provides, SNAP could provide nine. As a result, Hacker said it can’t be overstated how much food banks depend on support from the USDA, which is far below normal levels.
While these are going to be difficult times for food banks and pantries across the country, that doesn’t mean that we can all give up on the battle against food insecurity. Food donations are always appreciated, but Hacker said the best way to get value out of your donation is to donate money directly to food banks, as they can stretch your dollar much further.
To make a donation or to look into receiving food, visit foodbankiowa.org.
