Food Bank of Iowa partners during May served the highest number of individuals in the organization’s 40-year history, CEO Michelle Book announced Monday. Food Bank of Iowa’s 700 partners include community pantries, shelters, day care facilities and meal sites in 55 of the state’s 99 counties; 200 of those partners are in Polk County. Pantries stocked by Food Bank of Iowa reported serving 121,714 individuals in May. That number is about 2,000 higher than the next-closest month, November 2020, during the height of COVID-19. Rising food, fuel and housing costs and the elimination of SNAP emergency allotments and other government support have left many working Iowans struggling to make ends meet. In some cases, Food Bank of Iowa partners report serving double, triple and even quadruple the numbers of pantry guests from just a few months ago. “We have entered a new frontier in terms of need,” Book said. “Food Bank of Iowa remains committed to providing food for children, families, seniors and veterans in these uncertain economic times.”

Iowa Stops Hunger is a Business Publications Corp. initiative to bring awareness and action to food insecurity in Iowa. Read additional stories on Iowastopshunger.com.