Eleven percent of Poweshiek County residents are food insecure.
Thirty-six percent are one emergency away from slipping into poverty.
Thirty-five percent of students in the school district are on reduced lunch.
These were some of the sobering statistics that Jennifer Cogley, AmeriCorps VISTA project coordinator for Imagine Grinnell, shared with Grinnell Rotarians during their weekly meeting on Nov. 5.
Cogley learned of these statistics while researching food insecurity in Poweshiek County this summer. Her efforts led to the development of a resource guide to finding food in Grinnell.
Rich in information, the guide has sections on food pantries, food distribution, and access to fresh produce.
Most residents know that Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) operates a food pantry. But there is also a food pantry in Montezuma, at Grinnell High School and Grinnell Middle School.
Hot food is distributed on various days at different sites – at First Presbyterian Church at noon three times a week through the Food Recovery Network while Grinnell College is in session; the Community Meal on Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. at Davis Elementary School; and Blessed Community Meal at United Methodist Church on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. All these are free and open to the public.
In addition, Meals and Wheels provides meals to homebound seniors and Tiger Packs or backpacks with food are distributed to some school children on Fridays.
Fresh produce is likewise available in several ways. Fareway and Farmers’ Market provides coupons to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who purchase fresh produce up to $10 that they can spend on more fresh items. Food Connection provides weekly food boxes with fresh vegetables courtesy of local farmers participating in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Finally, Giving Gardens are planted and maintained by volunteers in nine locations during summer. Any resident can pick the vegetables; the rest are brought to MICA.
The food resource guide is available in print. The information will likewise be put on Imagine Grinnell’s website soon. More importantly, it will be a basis for developing more effective ways to coordinate and expand on the efforts of volunteers and local organizations to address food insecurity in Poweshiek County.
The Grinnell Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at West Side Dining on 6th Ave., Grinnell.