As Hunger Action Month comes to an end, the efforts to fight food insecurity continue on.

One in eight children face hunger in Iowa, according to Feeding America. Rural communities make up 87% of counties with the highest rate of overall food insecurity nationwide. In partnership with Feeding America, the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) provides a variety of services to help remove barriers to Iowans’ self-sufficiency. HACAP Mobile Food Pantry Coordinator Bob Andrlik explains the impact that the mobile food pantry has had in the past year, “The mobile pantry alone has distributed 530,593 out in those communities to folks. We try to get the food as close to them as we can so that they minimize the amount of barriers that they have trying to access it. There’s a lot of need out there and we want to make sure to get food to the folks that need it.” 

Andrlik says that it’s easy to think about hunger during the holiday season but he reminds everyone that this is a year-round issue. The mobile food pantry will be making stops from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Brighton gym and 1-2 p.m. at the Washington United Presbyterian Church on October 7th. For more information on HACAP resources visit here.