Food Bank of Iowa receives $100,000 donation from Murphy Family Foundation

Donation provides funds for food purchases to fill local spring meal boxes and pantry shelves

Over a period of two days, a partnership between Food Bank of Iowa, Murphy Family Foundation, and Fareway Stores produced 1,000 meal boxes. The boxes, packed with all the items necessary for a nutritional spring celebration meal, were made possible by a $100,000 donation from the Murphy Family Foundation to support food purchases. 

Miranda Murphy

The meal boxes, which include ham, rolls, potatoes, green beans, pineapple, Jell-O and brownies, will be distributed to Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) families later this month via Food Bank of Iowa’s 14 offsite school pantries. An estimated 5,000 DMPS families fall short of having adequate nutrition at home. Established last fall, families may visit these metro pantries as often as needed. They do not need to make an appointment or present identification.  

Meal boxes were packaged by Mike, Miranda and Bonnie Murphy, Reynolds Cramer, CEO of Fareway, and Fareway team members.

“The partnership between Food Bank of Iowa, the Murphy family and Fareway is a perfect example of the collaboration required to achieve a hunger-free Iowa,” said Michelle Book, CEO of Food Bank of Iowa. “I am extremely grateful for their commitment to our shared vision and the time they shared to assemble the meal boxes.”

Bonnie Murphy

This distribution was made possible in part by Fareway’s Lead with Love initiative. Created to support local communities, the initiative focuses on Fareway employees being assets to the communities in which they live, being helpful to their neighbors.  

In addition to the meal boxes, funds from the Murphy Family Foundation will help Food Bank of Iowa purchase food to stock Iowa pantry shelves.

Any organization or individual interested in joining the fight for a hunger-free Iowa can volunteer, donate, and find advocacy information at FoodBankIowa.org.