Forklifts were buzzing throughout the Food Bank of Iowa’s massive warehouse last week as workers hustled to unload 23 pallets of meat from a Fareway semitrailer. 

Food Bank of Iowa President and CEO Tami Nielsen said the donation of taco meat and ground pork by Iowa Farm Bureau and Fareway would “go out the door as quickly as it came in.”

It's been a challenging first few months on the job for Nielsen, who took over as Food Bank of Iowa’s CEO in June. She said the food bank has been moving 60%-70% more food than normal the past few months due to increased demand. With little room in the budget for increased hiring, food bank staff are putting in longer hours and relying more on volunteer labor. 

Food banks across Iowa saw a surge of first-time visitors when the government shutdown delayed SNAP funding, Nielsen noted. Officials are watching to see whether those visitors continue to access food bank resources going forward, resulting in greater sustained demand. 

Like all of us, the food bank has also felt the pinch of higher food prices, which made Farm Bureau’s donation of highly valued meat very timely, Nielsen said.  

She encourages Iowans who want to donate or volunteer to go to the Food Bank of Iowa’s website at www.foodbankiowa.org or find a food pantry in their own community. Iowa is served by a collaboration of six food banks through the Iowa Food Bank Association/Feeding America. Together they serve more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations including food pantries, emergency meal sites, congregational meal sites and other sites that provide food to clients in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. To learn more, go to www.iowafba.org.