Hamilton County Food for Neighbors Challenge begins Thursday

Fundraiser will benefit pantries, meal delivery programs

Enhance Hamilton County Foundation is inviting the community to come together once again to support local food access through the Hamilton County Food for Neighbors Challenge, running Thursday through Oct. 31.

The annual effort, formerly known as the Food Pantry Challenge, has been expanded this year to reflect a broader understanding of food access across Hamilton County. In addition to supporting local food pantries, the challenge now also includes prepared-meal programs that help meet food needs in different ways.

The first $20,000 donated during the challenge will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

"Food access looks different for every person and every family," said Darcy Swon of Enhance Hamilton County Foundation. "For some, that means having access to a food pantry. For others, it may mean having a prepared meal delivered to their home. Expanding the challenge allows us to support more of the ways our communities are helping neighbors access food."

Donors may choose to support one or more of seven participating food access efforts:

• Upper Des Moines Opportunity Food Pantry

• Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry

• St. Paul Lutheran Church Food Pantry

• Webster City Meals on Wheels / Webster City Congregate Meals

• Lord's Cupboard Food Pantry in Jewell

• Stratford Food Pantry

• Southern Hamilton County Meal Program

Donors may designate their gift to one program, choose several programs or make a general gift to support all seven. If more than one program is selected, the gift will be divided equally among those selected. Gifts without a designation will be divided equally among all seven. Funds designated to Webster City Meals on Wheels / Webster City Congregate Meals will be divided equally between those two programs.

One of the biggest changes to this year's challenge is the inclusion of prepared-meal programs.

The Southern Hamilton County Meal Program is moving toward a November rollout, initially serving the Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford communities. The program will provide prepared, home-delivered meals based on need rather than age, with community meal options also being considered as the program grows.

Participants will be asked to contribute what they are reasonably able to pay toward the cost of their meals. Donations received through the Food for Neighbors Challenge will help support the program and provide meal subsidies for participants who are unable to pay the full meal cost, helping ensure that cost does not become a barrier for those who need the service.

Community meetings are being planned in Jewell, Stanhope and Stratford during the week of Oct. 19 to introduce the program, answer questions and recruit participants and volunteers.

Matching funds for this year's challenge have been made possible through remaining food pantry funds from All Cultures Equal following its closure, an anonymous donor, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation and the JDT Charitable Trust.

Donations may be made online by visiting www.enhancehamiltoncounty.org and clicking the Food for Neighbors Challenge donation button.

When donating online, donors are asked to indicate in the comment section before submitting their gift, which food pantry or meal program they would like to support.

Checks may also be made payable to Enhance Hamilton County Foundation and mailed to or dropped off at 501 Bank St., Webster City, IA 50595. Donors should write the name of the food pantry or meal program they wish to support in the memo line. If no designation is provided, the gift will be divided equally among all seven participating food access efforts.

"Every gift matters, and during the challenge, every gift can go twice as far," Swon said. "It is a simple way for people across Hamilton County to help make sure their neighbors have access to the food and meals they need."