Des Moines, IA, January 11, 2017 – The Food Bank of Iowa is coordinating a new Mobile Pantry in Dallas County, partnering with Crossroads Church to fight hunger. The distributions will take place on the third Monday of each month, beginning on Monday, January 16.

A Mobile Pantry is a farmers market style food distribution program, targeted toward counties with a need for additional pantry service. The Food Bank of Iowa delivers a truck with a variety of grocery products to a mobile pantry site, where volunteers unload, set up and distribute the food.

“We are very excited to start this new mobile pantry with Crossroads Church in West Des Moines,” said Abbi Neighbour, regional partnership coordinator at the Food Bank of Iowa. “People struggle with hunger in every type of community in Iowa, and West Des Moines is no different.”

All 99 counties in Iowa have some level of food insecurity, which means that an individual or family does not have reliable access to enough nutritious food. The Food Bank of Iowa estimates that there are more than 180,000 food insecure people within its service area of 55 counties, including Dallas. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap survey, the number of food insecure people in Dallas County is 6,710, and the food insecurity rate is 9.3 percent.

“Nearly 10 percent of people in Dallas County are considered food insecure,” said Matt Unger, program manager at the Food Bank of Iowa. “Even in affluent communities, we need to provide access to nutritious food resources for our neighbors in need. Mobile pantries are a convenient and flexible way to get food where it’s needed.”
The Mobile Pantry is free and open to the public, and geared toward individuals in need of food assistance. Mobile Pantry attendees are encouraged to bring bags, laundry baskets or boxes to carry their food.

Food Bank of Iowa seeks additional partners to coordinate mobile pantry distributions in their communities. If an individual or organization would like to learn more or get involved, they should contact us at 515-564-0330 or visit www.foodbankiowa.org.

Crossroads Church Mobile Pantry Information

Dates: third Monday of every month, beginning January 16
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Crossroads Church, 1200 60th Street, West Des Moines, IA

For media inquiries, contact Danny Akright, communications manager, Food Bank of Iowa, dakright@foodbankiowa.org or 515-564-0330.

To learn how you can help fight hunger in your community, visit www.foodbankiowa.org