Emily Shearer, food acquisition program manager for the Food Bank of Iowa, talks about the delivery of turkey deli meat to the food bank today, as Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg (right), Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig (center) and Dan Waters (left) listen. Photo submitted by Food Bank of Iowa

More than 41,000 pounds of turkey deli meat will be delivered to food banks across Iowa as part of the Turkey-to-Table program. According to a news release, the donations were delivered today to the Food Bank of Iowa, Food Bank for the Heartland and Food Bank of Siouxland. Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and representatives of West Liberty Foods and the Iowa Turkey Federation were on hand at the Food Bank of Iowa for the first shipment. Additional shipments will arrive later this month, the release states. With food insecurity on the rise during the pandemic, the Iowa Turkey Federation, with the support of CARES Act funding, has partnered with turkey farmers and the state to help get turkey to families in need. According to the release, the deli meat will be labeled and made available to Food Bank of Iowa partners in the coming months.

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