The Food Bank of Iowa has launched a pilot School Pantry program in seven Iowa communities, the organization announced.

The School Pantry program will now serve the communities of Ames, Chariton, Des Moines (Scavo High School), East Sac, Perry, Marshalltown and Winterset. The pilot program kicked off in Perry this past September.

“We started (the) program to help alleviate hunger for both children and their families,” Carey Miller, executive director of the Food Bank of Iowa, said in a news release. “We  looked into innovative ways to provide more readily accessible sources of food assistance to low-income students and their families.”

According to the release, school-based pantries are located on the grounds of each school. The Food Bank of Iowa partners with schools to provide structure, oversight, equipment and food for the school pantries, while school personnel help facilitate access to the pantry and oversee operation.

Since the inception of the program, locations have served 1,450 individuals and 314 families.