In Iowa, 13.4% of our population are food insecure. In Wapello County that number rises to 23%. One organization fighting those statistics is the Food Bank of Southern Iowa (FBOSI). The Food Bank, which was founded in 1983, serves over 160 agencies in 13 counties in Southeast Iowa. These agencies include churches, senior centers, daycare centers, homeless shelters, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and other nonprofit agencies.

Over 1.7 million pounds of food was distributed in 2011 alone.

Because the demand for food continues to rise, the Food Bank works diligently to keep costs down for its partner agencies to which they charge only 14 cents per pound of food. To put this in perspective, consider this; for each $1 that is donated to the Food Bank, they are able to provide 5 meals to a family in need and a $5 donation to them translates to a 35 pound food donation to a partnering agency.

Our Role, Grants, and Results

This grant has enabled us to offer our client agencies … perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables and more proteins like meat and fish.
-Executive Director Neal Abbott

The Legacy Foundation is proud to team up with the Food Bank of Southern Iowa as they look for new and better ways to improve both their services and their efficiency. In 2011, we provided a $25,000 grant to assist with the purchase of a new freezer that allowed them to hold more food at their facility.

In 2012, the Food Bank took a close look at operations and ways in which it could improve efficiency. To assist them in this effort, the Legacy Foundation granted $25,000 to update their warehouse with new window glass, ceiling fans, and lighting with automatic shutoff sensors.

“The grant money will help us greatly reduce our operating/overhead costs which will enable us to focus on helping the people we serve,” stated FBOSI Board Chair Cheryl Steffen. The Food Bank of Southern Iowa is a wonderful example of an organization that is continuing to look for ways to do more with less.