Rising to meet the challenge of hunger in Johnson County

In Johnson County — and across Iowa — a quiet crisis is growing. It doesn’t make national headlines. It rarely trends online. But it’s showing up in homes, classrooms, and grocery aisles every single day. Hunger.

At CommUnity Crisis Services, we operate the largest food pantry in Johnson County, serving more than 1,000 families each week. Behind each of those numbers is a very real story: a parent working full-time who still can’t afford enough groceries, a senior citizen rationing one meal across two days, a child who relies on school lunch and finds an empty fridge at home on the weekend. These aren’t far-off stories. These are our neighbors, our co-workers, our classmates.

Hunger isn’t new — but we are seeing it escalate in ways that are deeply concerning. Right now, we’re facing a perfect storm: rising demand, fewer resources, and policy changes that are making it harder — not easier — for families to access the food they need.

In just the past few months, Iowa lost $3.8 million in Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funding. TEFAP supplies food to pantries across the state, including ours. At the same time, USDA commodity food distributions are down, meaning fewer truckloads of pasta, rice, canned goods — staples — are making it to the shelves.

And it doesn’t stop there. Two important programs, the Local Food Purchasing Assistance and Local Food for Schools initiatives, were eliminated entirely. These programs didn’t just feed people — they connected Iowa families with fresh food from Iowa farmers. Losing them hurts families and small farms alike.

Even more concerning is the proposed $230 billion cut to SNAP (food stamps). If passed, it would reduce benefits in Iowa by 27% — an average of $71 per household each month. Meanwhile, state-level proposals like House Study Bill 216 aim to limit what SNAP recipients can buy, adding red tape and judgment to an already challenging process. These moves don’t end hunger — they deepen it.

The result? More people turning to already-strained food pantries to fill the gap.

And hunger doesn’t just mean an empty stomach.

It’s the child who can’t concentrate in class.

The older adult choosing between dinner and their prescriptions.

The working parent — one of the 40% of food-insecure households in Iowa with full-time employment — who feels like they’re doing everything right but still can’t make ends meet.

Today, one in seven Iowans — and one in five children — face food insecurity. Nearly 9% of older Iowans go hungry on a regular basis. These aren’t just numbers. They’re people we know. People we serve.

But here’s the thing: we’re not helpless. Every day, we witness the heart and resilience of this community. From Coralville and North Liberty’s community food pantries, to Table to Table rescuing surplus food, to schools offering free meals, to churches, small businesses, and volunteers who collect food, pack bags and stack shelves — we see people stepping up, again and again.

We’re all part of this safety net. But the weight is getting heavier, and we need more hands to help carry it.

We need our leaders to treat hunger as the year-round crisis it is.

We need businesses to invest in solutions — through donations, partnerships, and volunteer time.

And we need volunteers to keep showing up. Because every meal shared, every shift served, makes a difference.

And we need you — our readers — to act. Whether it’s a donation, a few hours of your time, a food drive, an email to your legislator, or just a conversation with someone who might not understand the scope of the problem — it all matters.

Because food isn’t a luxury. It’s a basic right. It’s the starting point for health, for education, for dignity.

Imagine a Johnson County where no child goes to bed hungry. Where every family has the food they need, and the support they deserve. Where our shelves are full — and so are our hearts.

That’s a vision worth working for. And it’s one we can achieve — if we do it together.

This is our moment. This is our community. Let’s rise to meet the need.

Adrianne Korbakes is the chief operating officer at CommUnity Crisis Services in Iowa City. CommUnity operates the largest food pantry in Johnson County. To get involved or learn more, visit builtbycommunity.or visit https://builtbycommunity.org/