High Needs at Food Banks in Iowa

[rurallib]

A friend of mine got this email tonight from the Iowa City Food Bank. With the end of the pandemic crisis and high inflationI am guessing every food bank in Iowa is in need:

It's difficult to find words for the situation our community is in right now. We are so grateful to receive incredible support from our community, and we're lucky to be surrounded by people that truly care about their neighbors. However, the current economic climate has created an urgent situation at our Food Bank.

Food and financial donations are both down, and our inventory is scarce. In January, we had 1,640 more visits to the Food Bank than the month prior. And with everyone's financial situation being affected by inflation in the past year, in-kind donations decreased from almost 15,000 lbs. of food in December to just over 5,000 lbs. in February.

We are in need of Food Bank donations in order to keep our neighbors fed. We understand every budget shrank this year, but if you are able to help, we really need you right now.

Take care,
Your Friends at CommUnity
Our Contact Information
CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank
1121 S. Gilbert Ct.
Iowa City, IA 52240
3193512726 ext. 105
http://www.builtbycommunity.org

[LoisB]

1. Isn't Iowa the state where Repig lawmakers (or at least one) wants to make it illegal to buy

fresh meat and produce with SNAP/EBT benefits?

[rurallib]

2. That was an early proposal that was quickly withdrawn - but yeah

that was us. Iowa has turned into a repuke stronghold in just a few elections.

[LoisB]

5. Well, I'm glad of that. I don't understand it. When I think of Iowa, Wyoming, Idaho...I think

salt of the earth, strong ethics, common sense, neighborly people. At least, I used to think that way. What the heck happened?

[rurallib]

6. That is a question that a lot of Iowans (and ex-Iowans) are asking

There are even a couple of retired journalists/ columnists from the Des Moines Register who are exploring that very question - Julie Gammack and Rea Basu.

They are interviewing Iowans to see what they can figure out.
So far they have posted 2 podcasts:

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/what-the-hell-happened-to-iowa-7753b

[LoisB]

7. Very interesting podcast. I am about 1/2 way through and have bookmarked to finish. I could

feel the pain that James (the gay man) still feels. I could feel the arrogance of those lawmakers and Kim Reynolds. Liberty to them is taking away your rights if you don't fall in line or God forbid, have the audacity to be different or want to think for yourself. I have been in a lot of classrooms and was never exposed to "porn" nor Critical Race Theory.

[progressoid]

3. Meanwhile Kovid Kim sits on a nearly 2 billion dollar surplus.

[rurallib]

4. which will no doubt go to the wealthy in some tax cut

[Skittles]

8. I started donating the gas money I saved from WFH to the local food bank

still doing that.....whenever I am in the store and see the ridiculous prices I wonder how folks of lesser means get by