A sizable crowd was on hand at 9 a.m. Saturday in the lunchroom of the Perry Elementary School for the Mobile Food Pantry, which offers free food to anyone in need of assistance as part of the Hunger-Free Dallas County initiative.
The mobile food pantries are held monthly, with sites alternating between the Dallas County Hospital and Crossroads Church. This month’s event was held through the good offices of the Perry Elementary School because Crossroads Church is currently being remodeled.
According to the Dallas County Public Health Nursing Services, said about 6,500 people in Dallas County are food insecure. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a food-insecure person or family frequently runs out of food, skips meals, cannot afford balanced meals or reduces portions in order to feed children.
A study by the United Way of Central Iowa found about one-third of Iowans do not earn enough money to cover the basic costs of living, such as food. In towns like Perry and Minburn, more than 40 percent of the population is classified as income vulnerable.
The Hunger-Free Dallas County project was born in the fall of 2014 through a partnership of the Hunger-Free Iowa Initiative, the Dallas County Department of Health and local volunteers interested in battling hunger in Dallas County.
A number of passionate volunteers and anti-hunger groups in Dallas County are partners in the Hunger-Free Dallas County project. The groups include:
- Adel Good Samaritan Food Pantry
- Dallas County Community Services
- Dallas Center Food Pantry
- Dallas County Hospital
- Dallas County Public Health Department
- Eat Greater Des Moines
- Food Bank of Iowa
- Heart of Iowa Regional Transportation Authority (HIRTA)
- Hy-Vee
- Mercy Health Network
- New Opportunities
- Perry Area Food Pantry
- United Way of Central Iowa
- Waukee Area Christian Services
For more information about Hunger-Free Dallas County or to volunteer, call 515-993-1764. For more information about the Hunger-Free Iowa initiative, visit the Hunger-Free Iowa website, or call the Food Bank of Iowa at 515-564-0330.
