CommUnity food bank offering free holiday meal

IOWA CITY — Project Holiday, an effort by the CommUnity food pantry that provides holiday meals to Johnson County residents, is returning for its 37th year.

“It’s a community effort,” Julia Winter, CommUnity’s director of development, said.

“A huge portion of our funding comes from individual donors,” she said in a press release. “These are neighbors helping neighbors. Without the support of our donors and volunteers and community cheerleaders, many more of our neighbors would be going hungry.

CommUnity said it expects to provide ingredients to make a holiday meal to more than 1,500 families this year. Each $30 donation provides a meal for a family.

“A lot of families don’t have the means to put a big dinner on the table this Christmas,” food bank manager Krystal Kabela said. “Groceries have gotten so expensive and a warm meal together just doesn’t always take priority over keeping the heat on and paying rent. It’s a decision no one wants to make, but it’s one that many of our clients face this time of year.”

Each meal comes with a meat or vegetarian entree and ingredients for side dishes such as potatoes or stuffing mix.

The free meals are available to any Johnson County resident on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is required.

Meals can be picked up next week — Dec. 16 to Dec. 21 — at the CommUnity food bank, Pepperwood Plaza, 1045 Highway 6 East in Iowa City.

The food bank’s hours are:

How to get involved

CommUnity accepts donations online and also is looking for volunteers.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com