Last year, in addition to providing 150,307 backpacks throughout the school year, the Food Bank of Iowa team was hard at work increasing the number of school pantries we serve. A school pantry works just like a conventional pantry, but it’s conveniently located on-site at a school for families of students in need.

School pantries are operated by the hard-working faculty at each school. We know that teachers and school administrators are tasked with a lot each day so any extra support given to set up and maintain these school pantries helps alleviate additional resources and efforts needed on behalf of the school staff.

Last school year, the school pantry program served 99,247 individuals and overall, school pantries received 893,029 pounds of food from Food Bank of Iowa.

Over the coming year, our goal is to continue expanding the school pantry program to ensure children and families across the state have access to nutritious food. We are able to keep expanding the reach of our school pantry program because of generous gifts from supporters like you.

There are many opportunities available to help support childhood hunger programs that assist the one in seven children suffering from food insecurity in your community. If you would like to sponsor a school-based program in your community, contact Bergetta Beardsley at 515-867-2892 or bbeardsley@foodbankiowa.org.