Food Insecurity in Iowa

Humans need three balanced meals a day to be fully nourished and healthy. But around the world, about 811 million people go to bed hungry. This is because all over the globe families aren’t able to afford their basic needs. Especially with the recent pandemic, it is more difficult than ever to obtain these basic necessities. Since the Great Depression, food insecurity has been a large issue for people around the world.
Food insecurity is defined as inconsistent access to food for each person in a family. Food insecurity has been a large issue since the Great Depression. The Great Depression also began the first efforts to eliminate food Insecurity. Although food insecurity has decreased since then, it is still a large issue, and a current one as well. It dropped from 13.4% in 2001 to 8.8% in 2017 but has risen to around 8.9-9.0% in 2021-2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, many people were laid off from their jobs, and this caused many people to lose their insurance, their benefits, and most importantly, their access to salary. With many people not having a steady income, they were not able to take care of some of their basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare. Especially in America, where healthcare is very difficult to get without a proper job, and good insurance, for many people who have diseases, or illnesses, it can become very difficult to deal with their illness and food insecurity. Because the worry about not knowing when they will eat can take priority over other needs.

Many businesses and schools do something called a “canned food drive” where students and parents of the community bring in canned food and other shelf-stable food, and that food is all given to local pantries and local shelters. A food pantry is a place where hungry people can go to receive food from local food banks. In the Waukee area, there are many organizations that help the community. Food Insecurity in Iowa is worse than other states in the United States. Before the Pandemic around 305,000 people were without a steady source of food and after the pandemic there are now around 459,850 people who are food insecure. The percentage of people who are food insecure went from 10.9% in 2017 to 12.8% last year. The pandemic has come with some good things though. Covid-19 has brought benefits, giving people who didn’t have a lot of money a larger amount of money in a stimulus check. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a large help with fighting against hunger in the nation. In Iowa SNAP has helped 320,000 residents in Iowa and 38,000,000 nationally. SNAP works by giving people in need a card, with a set balance each month, that people can use to buy groceries in certain stores. SNAP is used to help people get back on their feet without worrying about food. 

Food pantries are another way to help people get back on their feet. Most pantries do not require any qualifications to use them, and they are another great way to help families who are struggling to meet all of their nutritional needs. Families who rely on food pantries, or food banks are often children, or people with disabilities, with the number being up to around 14.8% in 2020. Communications and Advocacy director Luke Elzinga from DMARC United commented, “About one third of everyone we assist is a child, so 17 or under.” Some food pantries have seen a decrease in people who need assistance, but others have seen a quick increase, with many benefits from the Covid-19 pandemic shutting down and no longer being available. Director Lisa Earles, from Clive Community Services, added, “In general there was an increase in clients and especially when the pandemic hit. There were a good number of people telling us that they were just laid off or they just lost their job or had their hours cut.” Those without jobs, or steady incomes because of the pandemic are beginning to turn to the food pantries as a way to meet their needs. 

  The issue of food insecurity affects people all around the world, including right here in Waukee. But the Waukee school district, along with many other schools are making it possible to get affordable good food to students in need. When asked about how Waukee Schools are helping students dealing with food insecurity Melissa Andrews, Supervisor of the kitchen at Waukee Northwest High School, stated, “We offer them a free lunch, and on the days that [students] have finals we do the ‘grab and go’ meals so they can grab it and take it home, so they can still eat at home.” School lunches are a great way to get balanced meals to those who need them, as well as feeding kids good food in the middle of their school day. In Waukee School District students are able to get free lunches as long as those lunches have fruit, a vegetable, and milk. 

Now more than ever these food pantries need volunteers and it’s easy and free to sign up. DMARC United relies on volunteers to aid them in meeting people’s needs. Volunteers can help by assisting mobile food pantry visitors, picking up Red Barrel donations, delivering meals to families, and more. Meals From The Heartland is a large organization that has worked with the Waukee School District multiple times, allowing students to learn more about food insecurity and the fight to end world hunger. Meals From The Heartland always needs volunteers to package meals for families all over the world. They have opportunities to volunteer almost every day. They have 2-hour shifts where people can fill, seal, and pack packages. A volunteer at Meals From the Heartland expressed “I like the fact that you’re helping people.” Another good place to volunteer is Clive Community Services. People are able to sign up for pantry shifts. New volunteers should go 15 minutes early. And high school volunteers are able to earn silver cord hours from volunteering. Another great way to get involved and make a difference is by donating to shelters or these food pantries. Whether by donating the necessary foods or by donating money to these organizations. 

The best thing people can do to fight against this long lasting issue is lending a helping hand to organizations, families in need or even just being aware. Fighting world hunger involves everyone, and there is always something to do to help. Looking out for canned food drives, volunteering or even donating helps.