U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee
1998 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Hearing
 
 

Good Morning.  My name is Karen Ford.  I'm the Executive Director of the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines. As a veteran of fifteen years of foodbanking, I have solicited, warehoused and distributed food to over 300 non-profit agencies in 42 Iowa counties.  Our service area covers over 30,000 square miles and is populated by 1,000,000 Iowans living on farms, small towns and cities. According to the USDA's recent report on food insecurity, 86,000 people in the Food Bank's service area experience some degree of food insecurity each month.

The Food Bank of Iowa was organized in 1982 with every intention of becoming a member of the Second Harvest Food Bank Network.  Within a year we had achieved that goal.  Soon the challenges began as we faced a growing need from rural areas during the Farm Crisis of the 80's.  We were blessed to be one of three Food Banks to participate in the late Congressman Bill Emerson's Commodity Distribution Project.  I must note, I believe that successful project laid the ground work for Secretary Glickman's recent approval of Section 32 funds to purchase excess pork for distribution through Food Banks. We learned about "MRE's" and "Meals for 100" during Desert Share, and survived the most intense challenge during the Flood of 93 when  I worked at the capital coordinating out-of-state donations, while the food bank staff dealt with the overwhelming generosity of strangers.

Through all of these events the future always remained bright.  But in the last two years optimism has been put to the test.  Food Banks have experienced decreasing donations from our major food industry partners.  Their commitment to efficiency, just in time inventory, efficient consumer response, and other technological improvements  has been successful.  In 1997, of the 3.8 million lbs. the Food Bank of Iowa distributed through it's network of agencies, only 20% was from major food industry donations channeled through Second Harvest. Couple that with passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (the "welfare reform act") and there was real question if supply could equal demand.
 
 

In 1997 a shift to soliciting fresh produce and contracting with the State of Iowa to distribute the EFAP commodities helped keep a constant supply of food available to the agencies. As I told Senator Grassley on a recent visit, the commodities are so perfectly suited to distribution through food banks and at a time of limited supply, they have made a tremendous difference in our ability to provide food to agencies who have come to depend on us.

A commitment was also made to be more involved in food programs at the state and federal level.  Working with the Midwest Anti-Hunger Network and the Food Research and Action Center,  has me looking beyond the problems of food in and out of the warehouse. I am troubled with the research that indicates even mild undernutrition experienced by children during critical periods of growth may lead to real reductions in cognitive development and physical growth. I worry about a mother and child going into a food pantry and not receiving an adequate supply of food because the food bank didn't have an adequate food supply for the pantry.

The School Breakfast Program, Summer Feeding,  and the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program are essential to today's children.  I have felt guilty for twenty years because I often hustled my two sons into the car, with them eating what was to pass for breakfast, as I got one to school and one to the babysitter, so I could begin my 30 mile commute to work.  Making school breakfast available to all children regardless of income would be a tremendous benefit to parents and teachers throughout the country.  Therefore, we support Senator Johnson's Universal School Breakfast legislation.

Through the years I've seen the Summer Feeding Program being offered at fewer sites.  The problem I'm told is a lack of start-up and expansion funds, plus the need to restore previous reimbursement rates. These start up and expansion grants are critical to those of us in rural areas because the barriers are so great (population and sheer distances) that many of us have never seriously considered summer food for rural Iowa.  Summertime is difficult for so many parents who depend on breakfast and lunch programs during the school year.  Changes need to be made so that summer vacation is not simply three months of hunger for children out of school.  What the Second Harvest National Study, released March 10th, documented (what many of us in food banking have known for years), is that demand for food assistance is greatest during the summer months when school is out and children are not getting their nutritious school breakfast and lunch.

Many non-profit day-care centers are members of the Food Bank.  Without question they are some of the most conscientious shoppers we have.  They strive to meet the program requirements, stretch their dollars, and provide nutritious food to the kids in their care.  They tell me they need the fourth meal reimbursement restored for centers and family day care homes when the kids are in care for more than eight hours. As more After/Out of School Programs develop, participation in CACFP needs to be expanded for kids up to 18 years of age.
 

In closing, the Food Bank of Iowa's mission is to alleviate hunger.  Food Banks and all their agencies cannot do that alone. The emergency food distribution system is far from perfect.  It has traditionally relied on volunteers to staff the programs.  As I look around when agencies come to pick-up at the Food Bank of Iowa I see people in their late sixties and seventies coming in to pick-up food for their pantries.  My concern is not seeing younger people preparing to take their place.  I wonder too, what the Food Bank's role is in supporting the Welfare-to-Work efforts of state government.  As people become employed usually in low paying entry level jobs they often need help supplementing the food they have available..  Currently the pantry system is not in place to meet the needs of people who can only come after work, or weekends to access a pantry.  In other words, peoples' needs and the ability of  agencies to meet those needs, are facing a time of  transition and challenge. That is why federal food programs are so essential.  They provide the stability that families need to be assured that food will be available for their children.  We say that supporting the Food Bank of Iowa is a wise investment for Iowa.  Supporting and generously funding the Child Nutrition Programs is a wise investment for America.

Thank you.