Since the Trump Administration’s cuts to USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program in February, the Food Bank of Siouxland lost about $140,000 worth of food.
The loss of resources is revealed at the Sioux City Food Bank’s warehouse, where food is at its lowest level since 2020, and demand is outpacing supply.
In 2024 about 8,050 families visited the Food Bank of Siouxland network. FBS estimates there are about 10,705 food insecure families within the Siouxland area.
Jacob Wanderscheid, Executive Director of the Food Bank tells SPM, “The Food Bank fundraising method is much like a cruise ship: staff can make changes; however, with quick and unexpected cuts, it is hard to replace the foods and funds as quickly.”
The food bank is working with retailers, manufacturers, and donors to boost product donations.
*The Sioux City School District is once again participating in a free Summer Food Service Program, beginning June 9.
Meals are available Monday through Friday for all children ages 1-18 years without charge.
When the free lunch program was begun a decade ago, between 1,300 and 1,400 children on average were served daily through the Sioux City School District summer program.
Each child present will be served a meal to be consumed on-site.
There will be weekday lunch sites at four schools, plus three other places, including the Leeds Splash Pad, Riverside Pool, and the Children’s Launch Pad Museum downtown.
Additionally, two of those schools will also have breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m.
*Over 30 public and private school systems in Iowa are receiving state grants to help them purchase locally produced foods.
With the funding, schools can buy things like produce, meat, and eggs from members of Choose Iowa, a program aimed at marketing local products.
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said in a press release that interest from schools exceeded the program’s budget.
State legislators last year authorized $70,000 for the pilot program.
Lawmakers this year made the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Program permanent but only included food banks -- not schools.
The Iowa Food System Coalition says it’s disappointed that schools were excluded, especially after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut a federal local food for schools program.
