As we wrap up the year, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank has been hard at work ensuring no one in our community goes hungry during the holiday season. We’ve just completed our annual holiday distribution in Waterloo, serving families across the Cedar Valley, assisted with the holiday distribution in Waverly, and provided food for numerous other distributions across the 16 counties we serve in Northeast Iowa.
While food pantries and programs across the region are working tirelessly to make the holidays brighter for those facing food insecurity, we’re also preparing to raise our voices louder than ever to address the growing need.
You’ve hopefully heard about our bold aspiration: Every Meal. Every Day. Everyone. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that no matter where anyone is in Northeast Iowa, they have access to the food they need. Achieving this goal takes all of us working together and raising our voices to address the challenges of food insecurity.
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Please consider the following:
- We do not yet have a new farm bill to support farmers and maintain a strong nutrition title.
- Food insecurity levels now surpass pandemic-era highs, with increasing numbers of individuals seeking food assistance.
- Rising wages have not kept pace with inflation, forcing families to make tough choices between essentials.
Every week, we hear stories that remind us why our work is so essential: a child relying on a backpack of food to get through the weekend, a family burdened by medical expenses visiting a food pantry for the first time, or a young student depending on afterschool feeding programs like those at the Boys & Girls Clubs or YMCA to avoid an empty plate. These stories are heartbreaking, but they also drive us to act…