"CAN" Hunger: Food Drive

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Every year, thousands of Iowans experience misfortune and have to choose between things like clothing and shelter or feeding their families. The demand for food is at an all time high in 2010. Meanwhile, supplies are hitting all time lows.

Over Christmas, We worked together to raise 1,225 pounds of food for Central Iowa families! But it's important to remember that just because the rush of the holiday season is behind us, the need for food is still there.

This March, we've teamed up with Walmart to help The Food Bank of Iowa alleviate hunger in Central Iowa!

Through a network of 285 food-providing organizations in 42 counties, The Food Bank of Iowa distributes food and other products directly to the people in the communities they serve. When you visit any Great Southern Bank location and donate non-perishable items, take pride knowing, that you are building a better community and a better Iowa by helping your neighbors.

The "CAN" Hunger Food Drive begins Monday, March 1,2010, and concludes Wednesday, MArch 31, 2010.

Please take non-perishable items to The Following Walmart Locations:

Walmart: Jordan Creek

6365 Stagecoach Drive

West Des Moines, IA 50266

Walmart: Windsor Heights

1001 73rd Street

Windsor Heights, IA 50324

Walmart: Des Moines

5101 SouthEast 14th Street

Des Moines, IA 50320

Walmart: Altoona

3501 8th Street

Altoona, IA 50009

Walmart: Indianola

1500 North Jefferson Way

Indianola, IA 50125

Walmart: Ames

3015 Grand Ave

Ames, IA 50010

Walmart: Ames

534 South Duff Avenue

Ames, IA 50010

Walmart: Ankeny

1002 Southeast national Drive

Ankeny, IA 50021

Help Build a Better Community this year, by helping those who need it most.

contact kmccarthy@myabc5.com with any questions.

For More information about the Food Bank of Iowa Visit: www.foodbankiowa.org

Take a moment to learn about who exactly we serve...

HOW MANY CLIENTS RECEIVE EMERGENCY FOOD FROM THE FOOD BANK OF

IOWA?

• The FA system served by The Food Bank ofIowa provides emergency food for

an estimated 76, I00 different people annually.

• About 15,000 different people receive emergency food assistance in any given

week.

WHO RECEIVES EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE?

FA agencies served by The Food Bank of Iowa provide food for a broad cross-section of

households. Key characteristics include:

• 36% of the members of households served by The Food Bank of Iowa are

children under 18 years old

• 11% of the members of households are children age 0 to 5 years.

• 4% of the members of households are elderly.

• About 78% of clients are non-Hispanic white, 8% are non-Hispanic black, 12%

are Hispanic, and the rest are from other racial groups.

• 38% of households include at least one employed adult.

• 78% have incomes below the federal poverty level during the

previous month.

• 27% are homeless.

MANY CLIENTS ARE FOOD INSECURE WITH LOW OR VERY LOW FOOD

SECURITY

• Among all client households served by emergency food programs of The Food

Bank of Iowa, 75% are food insecure, according to the U.S. government's official

food security scale. This includes client households who have low food security

and those who have very low food security.

• 46% of the clients have very low food security.

• Among households with children, 68% are food insecure and 41% are food

insecure with very low food security.

MANY CLIENTS REPORT HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN FOOD AND OTHER

NECESSITIES

• 48% of clients served by The Food Bank of Iowa report having to choose between

paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel.

• 47% had to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage.

• 33% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical

care.

• 38% had to choose between paying for food and paying for transportation.

• 49% had to choose between paying for food and paying for gas for a car.

DO CLIENTS ALSO RECEIVE FOOD ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?

• 50% of client households served by The Food Bank of Iowa are receiving

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; however, it is likely that many more are eligible.

• Among households with children ages 0-3 years, 57% participate in the Special

Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

• Among households with school-age children, 62% and 56%, respectively,

participate in the federal school lunch and school breakfast programs.

• Among households with school-age children, 20% participate in the summer food

program.

MANY CLIENTS ARE IN POOR HEALTH

• 21% of households served by The Food Bank of Iowa report having at least one

household member in poor health.

MOST CLIENTS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICES THEY RECEIVE FROM

THE AGENCIES OF THE FOOD BANK OF IOWA

• 82% of adult clients said they were either "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied"

with the amount of food they received from their provider; 93% were satisfied

with the quality of the food they received.

HOW LARGE IS THE FOOD BANK OF IOWA?

• The Food Bank of Iowa included approximately 273 agencies at the

administration of this survey, of which 273 have responded to the agency survey.

Of the responding agencies, 148 had at least one food pantry, soup kitchen, or

shelter.

WHAT KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAMS

OF THE FOOD BANK OF IOWA?

• 52% of pantries, 47% of kitchens, and 39% of shelters are run by faith-based

agencies affiliated with churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious

organizations.

• At the agency level, 48% of agencies with at least one pantry, kitchen, or shelter

and 36% of all agencies including those with other types of programs are faith based.

• Private nonprofit organizations with no religious affiliation make up a large share

of other types of agencies.

HAVE AGENCIES WITH EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS REPORTED CHANGES

IN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SEEKING SERVICES?

• Among programs that existed in 2006, 79% of pantries, 61% of kitchens, and 43%

of shelters of The Food Bank of Iowa reported that there had been an increase

since 2006 in the number of clients who come to their emergency food program

sites.

WHERE DO AGENCIES WITH EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS OBTAIN THEIR

FOOD?

• Food banks are by far the single most important source of food for agencies with

emergency food providers, accounting for 62% of the food distributed by pantries,

52% of the food distributed by kitchens, and 37% of the food distributed by

shelters.

• Other important sources of food include religious organizations, government, and

direct purchases from wholesalers and retailers.

• 33% of pantries, 29% of kitchens, and 25% of shelters receive food from The

Emergency Food Assistance Program.

VOLUNTEERS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN THE FA NETWORK

• As many as 82% of pantries, 83% of kitchens, and 64% of shelters in The Food

Bank of Iowa use volunteers.

• Many programs rely entirely on volunteers; 51% of pantry programs and 21% of

kitchens have no paid staff at all.