DES MOINES, Iowa (June 17, 2024) – Food Bank of Iowa has received a $25,000 grant from State Farm to support mobile food distribution, helping Iowans to recover from the May tornadoes. The funds will provide the equivalent of 41,667 nutritious meals, supporting families recovering from these tragic storms.

“This generous grant from State Farm will help us to provide additional food assistance as we respond to the needs of residents in some of our hardest hit counties,” said Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book.

Food Bank of Iowa serves 11 of the 18 counties with disaster declarations: Adair (Greenfield), Adams, Clay, Dallas, Hardin, Jasper, Kossuth, Marshall, Palo Alto, Warren and Webster. The food bank stocks the shelves of more than 700 community and church pantries, school pantries and meal sites across 55 counties, as well as provides food assistance through mobile distribution and the elementary BackPack Program.

“At State Farm part of our mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life and recover from the unexpected,” said Apsara Sorensen, State Farm corporate responsibility assistant vice president. “State Farm is proud to team up with Food Bank of Iowa to help Iowans recover faster from these devastating storms.”

Food Bank of Iowa operates 46 mobile pantries across 30 counties. Families who need food assistance, including those recovering from disaster, receive a variety of shelf-stable and fresh foods, including produce, protein and dairy. Food is distributed at a prearranged site farmers market-style or in some cases, in a drive-through format.

In addition to mobile pantries, the food bank has been offering more frequent distribution, extra routes, additional distribution and other assistance to partners in the affected areas. Food Bank of Iowa also delivers and loans generators to partners to ensure food is kept safe and distribution can continue without interruption.