116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Project Holiday aims to help 4,000 people
IOWA CITY - Families are gathering this week in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty to receive the ingredients - including a turkey or chicken and side dishes - needed to prepare a holiday meal.
Now in its 29th year, the Crisis Center of Johnson County is distributing food as part of its Project Holiday campaign. Supported by a sponsorship from MidWestOne Bank, organizers expect to provide enough food this year for 4,000 people.
The Crisis Center, located at 1121 Gilbert Court in Iowa City, partners with the North Liberty Community Pantry and Coralville Community Food Pantry to distribute the food.
This year's campaign kicked off in October and area residents were invited to look for red and white tags at local businesses and churches throughout November and December. Officials asked residents to bring the reminder tag, along with a $25 donation, to the Crisis Center. Each donation purchased a family meal.
Donations still are being accepted at the Crisis Center or online at jccrisiscenter.org.
The holiday program aims to help some of the more than 14 percent of Johnson County residents who are in need of food assistance, according to the county's Hunger Task Force report. Sara Sedlacek, communications and development director for the Crisis Center, said programs like Project Holiday also help raise awareness in the community about food insecurity, which she says is the first step to lowering that number.
Shannen Johnson (from left), universal banker at MidWestOne Bank and Project Holiday volunteer, Matt Walter, Executive Assistant to the COO at MidWestOne Bank and Project Holiday volunteer, Peg Horn of Iowa City and volunteer at The Crisis Center of Johnson County, and Marin Swesey of Chicago, Ill. and Project Holiday volunteer, pack up food for a family during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Shannen Johnson, universal banker at MidWestOne Bank and Project Holiday volunteer, helps bag food for a family during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Tyler Link (from left), commercial/agriculture assistant relationship manager at MidWestOne Bank and Project Holiday volunteer helps load food into the vehicle of Mary Carter of Iowa City during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Carrots sit in a bin during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Shannen Johnson, universal banker at MidWestOne Bank and Project Holiday volunteer, helps bag food for a family during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Food sits on pallets in the warehouse during Project Holiday food distribution at The Crisis Center of Johnson County in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Project Holiday provides a turkey, chicken, or other entrée, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday meal for a family. The Crisis Center expects to donate food to over 1,700 families this year. A $25 donation provides the food to one area family. More donations are still needed and can be made either in person or online at http://www.jccrisiscenter.org/project-holiday/ (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
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