(Radio Iowa) – A food bank serving nine eastern Iowa counties hopes to raise the equivalent of 50-thousand meals September. The Hawkeye Area Community Action Program has already raised 27-thousand meals. With schools out of session and cafeterias empty, many children and their families turn to food pantries for assistance, but that increased demand coincides with a lull in donations.

The program’s Chris Ackman says people remember to donate during the year-end holidays but donations often drop off during the summer. He says the food is essential for the 150 food sites across the region. The facility covers Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties.

Feeding America estimates that one in 13 people in the service area struggles with food insecurity. Last year, H-A-C-A-P distributed 9.2 million pounds of food.