Recent Initiatives Highlight Power of Collaboration
September 22, 2015
“We partner with a great farming family in Madrid, Iowa,” said Miller. “They designate seven acres of their land for
volunteers to plant, maintain and harvest produce. We also partner with the Newton Correctional Facility where
inmates plant, grow and harvest food on 12 acres of land.”
The food bank also relies on donations from producers, manufacturers and retailers throughout the service area.
“We receive food donations from a number of places,” said Miller, nodding toward a stack of crates filled with
various food items. “For instance, we will pick up meat and produce that nearing expiration, bring it back to the
distribution center and refrigerator or freeze it to maintain quality.”
To help clients get the most out of the produce they receive, Miller and her team worked with Iowa State University
Extension and Outreach. “The nutritionists and dieticians help develop great materials for our clients,” she said. “The
handouts focus on the benefits, storage and uses of the produce that we distribute.”
More than 21 million children qualify for free or reduced-price meals throughout
the National School Lunch Program and the National School Lunch Breakfast
Program.* Many of these children count on the meals they receive during the
school day to get enough to eat, making weekends an especially vulnerable
time.
Near the end of the tour, Miller stopped next to a crate of peanut butter to
explain how the food bank and partner agencies reach these children—and
their families—in need.
As part of the Feeding America BackPack Program™, the Food Bank of Iowa and fill students’ backpacks with a
variety of foodstuff to help them get through the weekend.
The program aims to fill backpacks with enough food to make at least two meals and have snacks on hand including
cereal, fruit cups, sunbutter or peanut butter, 100 percent fruit juice, pop-top meals or soup. The Food Bank of Iowa
expects to serve 5,000 low income elementary school aged children through the BackPack Program™ in 2015.
It takes 17 full-time employees and countless volunteers to keep the food bank and its programs running, something
Miller doesn’t take for granted.
“Our employees and volunteers help unload, sort and pack food,” she said. “And our drivers cover our service area
of 30,000 square miles. We appreciate what everyone does for the food bank.”
At the end of their tour, Miller and the board members watched as workers finished unloading a semi-truck of what
seemed to be an endless supply of macaroni and cheese. But even though 40,000 lbs. is a lot, the stockpile won’t
last long.
“As soon as we get it into the system—likely today—agencies will start ordering it and distribution will begin
tomorrow,” she said. “This is wonderful product and it will go quickly.”
About First Run The First Run program, part of the Land O’Lakes Foundation, provides fresh product made by our
Land O’Lakes, Inc. plant employees for donation to food banks across the country. To date, the program has
donated 3 million lbs. of product to 83 food banks and their partner agencies.
*source: Feeding America
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