Man, the spokesperson for the Food Bank of Iowa ain’t happy about the latest Feeding America survey results. Annette Hacker is out here saying that things ain’t looking so good for the state, with folks in all 99 counties struggling to put food on the table.
According to Hacker, the survey shows that food insecurity is on the rise in Iowa, with a whopping 385,000 Iowans facing food insecurity. And to make matters worse, over 120,000 of them are kids. She’s blaming a bunch of stuff for the problem not getting any better, like cuts to poverty relief programs, reduced SNAP benefits, rising prices, and stagnant wages. Basically, it’s a whole mess that’s making it harder for people to keep food on the table.
The survey also highlights the top ten counties in Iowa with the highest percentages of residents facing food insecurity, and surprise surprise, most of them are rural counties. Hacker points out that a lot of folks think food insecurity only affects urban areas, but the numbers don’t lie. And with the Food Bank of Iowa serving seven out of the top ten counties on the list, the pressure is on for food banks to step up and fill the gap. Hacker stresses the importance of generous donors stepping in to help make up for federal cuts to USDA funding, because without that support, it’s gonna be tough to buy more food for those in need.
Man, this survey is based on 2023 data, so if you wanna check out all the nitty-gritty details, head on over to the Feeding America website. But one thing’s for sure, the situation in Iowa ain’t looking too good when it comes to food insecurity. Not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s always good to be informed about what’s going on in our communities, right? So let’s all do our part to help out those in need, whether it’s through donations, volunteering, or just spreading the word. Because at the end of the day, we’re all in this together.
