Meals from the Heartland announced that it will be sharing one million additional meals with Iowa food banks effective immediately. “This is in response to the tremendous need being created by the possible interruption of SNAP benefits for Iowans,” said Chuck Current, executive director, in a prepared statement. Food insecurity champions recently shared that up to 50,000 Polk County residents, half of them children, could lose SNAP benefits as early as Nov. 1. Statewide, 131,000 households receive SNAP benefits that could be affected by the shutdown. Meals from the Heartland has already shared over 1.5 million meals this year.  That number compares to just under one million meals shared in Iowa in 2024, a difference created by a severe need, according to a press release. Even if SNAP benefits remain, demand is still at an all-time high at Iowa food banks. Meal delivery commitments to distribution partners will remain – so adding another 1 million meals will require more volunteers and donations. Additional meals were and will be distributed from this emergency allocation this week to HACAP in Cedar Rapids and DMARC in Des Moines.