A new food pantry at Clay Central/Everly has seen steady use in its first year of operation.

Elementary secretary Val Johnson started the service after realizing a need in the community. While a food pantry at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly serves the north half of the district, there was nothing in Royal.

"Somebody brought it to my attention and I thought, why not do it here?" Johnson said. "I thought it was something we could open up to families with kids at school."

Johnson and CC/E partnered with the Food Bank of Iowa to get things going. She completed the necessary trainings and hit the ground running at the beginning of the school year.

The pantry has served more than 20 families and distributed over 5,740 pounds of food so far this year, according to the Food Bank of Iowa. Johnson explained it's more of a backpack program than a walk-in pantry, as students in need are sent home each Friday with food to last them over the weekend.

Each backpack contains two entrees, fruit, vegetables, snacks and breakfast items. Families can sign up for the program during school registration or they can call Johnson if they need food during the school year.

"Everyone who's called in has been extremely happy and grateful for the food we get to send home," Johnson said. "I haven't gotten big enough to be able to offer the pantry to the entire public, but I think that's something we'd like to do long-term."

• Food Bank of Iowa receives $1M grant

The CC/E food pantry's leading partner was recently selected to receive a huge funding boost from Alliant Energy.

In partnership with local food banks, the Alliant Energy Foundation last week announced the Rural Hunger Initiative (RHI), a collaborative effort to combat the challenges surrounding food insecurity in rural communities. According to a news release, the school food pantry at Clay Central/Everly Elementary in Royal will be assisted by the RHI via Food Bank of Iowa. The initiative will provide $1 million over the next two years to combat hunger across Iowa and Wisconsin

In the Hawkeye State, Food Bank of Iowa saw a need for food pantries in schools. The RHI supports their work as they create safe and convenient community spaces.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent 2023 Household Pulse Survey, nearly 11 percent of adults in Iowa and Wisconsin live in households where there is sometimes or often not enough to eat. Due to ongoing inflation and remaining impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural communities struggle at a higher rate, according to data from Feeding America.

In addition to Clay County, Food Bank of Iowa is focusing its efforts on six other rural counties including: Appanoose, Jefferson, Keokuk, Union, Wapello and Wayne.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Val Johnson

RHI is initiative is supported by the Alliant Energy Foundation, a philanthropic organization of the Alliant Energy Corporation. The foundation is operated as a separate entity led by its own board of directors. It is funded solely by Alliant Energy stakeholders and seeks to further the corporation's goals as a good corporate citizen and contributing member of society.