October is National Tackle Hunger Month. According to Food Bank of Iowa and FeedingAmerica.org, one in 10 Iowans struggles with hunger including one in seven children. One of the organizations working in southeast Iowa to fill the gap is the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program or HACAP. Food Reservoir Director with HACAP Kim Guardado spoke with KCII News about the work they do in Washington County and southeast Iowa. “We have a lot of partners in Washington County, pantries and other facilities, that are providing meals and food for individuals in the area. Along with some school pantries and mobile pantries we facilitate. We have a pretty good reach into the area and great partners we work with to make sure that people have the food they need to be healthy and successful.”

Guardado says that in their most recent fiscal year, HACAP estimates that they provided 237,000 pounds of food, which works out to about 197,000 meals for those in Washington County. The largest pantry in Washington County is the HACAP office in the Orchard Hill Complex on Lexington Boulevard, other locations include the Washington Church of God, Ainsworth Community Church, Retrograde Ministries, the Riverside food pantry, Washington schools, WACO schools, Mid-Prairie West Elementary and mobile food pantries in Brighton and Washington. HACAP receives donations from USDA, General Mills, Quaker Oats, Walmart and HyVee, specifically for those in need, in the form of eggs, milk, cereal, and produce. For more information visit HACAP.org.