If yesterday’s Iowa Hunger Summit taught me anything, it’s that Iowans are actively involved in the fight against hunger and are willing to do more if asked.

Yesterday’s event (attended by nearly 700 people) featured several examples of Iowans following in the tradition of the Iowa CARES project to fight hunger in Ethiopia, the Iowa SHARES campaign to feed starving Cambodians, and Dr. Norman Borlaug, by contributing to nutrition and hunger solutions in our state and around the globe.

But they don’t tell the whole story.

According to a just-released survey from AARP, two-thirds of surveyed Iowa adults have donated food to a food drive within the past 12 months, and 84 percent said they would donate if asked. Sixty-one percent have donated food to a hunger relief organization, and 78 percent would donate if asked. Fifty-one percent have donated money to an organization, and 63 percent would donate if asked.

We take a lot of pride in being Iowans too. In honor of Hunger Action Month (September) and the Iowa Hunger Summit, Iowa Farm Bureau will donate $2,500 to the Iowa Food Bank Association.

Join us! One in eight Iowans faces the risk of hunger every day. Click here to learn how you can donate food or money to an Iowa food bank or visit the Iowa Hunger Directory to find other organizations fighting hunger in your community.

We’re Iowans. I’m confident you’ll take it from here.

Written by Zach Bader. Zach is the Online Community Manager for Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.