Dear Friends,

For many Iowa children summertime means family vacations, playing kick ball until dark, and waking up late each morning to a leisurely breakfast at home. But for other boys and girls (in fact, one out of six), summer break is a time of significant anxiety.

Fifty years ago, I was one of those kids. I remember pulling up a chair so I could reach the shelf in our coat closet where my mom kept her four or five “pocketbooks.” With the change in my pocket pulled from the bottom of those handbags, I road my bike to Bordenaro’s grocery store. I had just enough money to buy one box of Hamburger Helper — it was beef stroganoff. I road my bike back home and cooked the stroganoff — without the ground beef — which my siblings and I devoured.

Thousands of Iowa children count on getting two square meals a day at school. In addition, during the school year many of these children also have access to food via a school pantry and back pack program; both programs are possible because of generous Food Bank of Iowa donors, like yourself.

Kids are now out of school and many are hungry. Moms and dads struggling to make ends meet will turn to the community pantry and local feeding programs to fill empty tummies. And Food Bank of Iowa will be there to help. Every week over the course of our glorious Iowa summer, Food Bank of Iowa drivers will unload tons of food at pantries across our service area, making sure food is on the shelf when families need it most.

The children of Iowa are precious and they are vulnerable. And many need our help. Your support truly makes a difference.

Sincerely,
Michelle Book
Chief Executive Officer
Food Bank of Iowa

Ps. If you have extra produce from your garden, your local pantry is just down the road.