Drive-Thru Free Food Giveaway This Saturday (Aug 27) in Dubuque

While my family and I have been fortunate over the years to be able to afford to put food on the table, this isn't the case for many people in the Dubuque and tri-state area.  Food insecurity is more prevalent than you think.

In fact, experts say 1 in eight people in America experience food insecurity every week.  It's estimated that as many as 6% of Dubuque residents are dealing with some sort of food insecurity.  That's nearly 6,000 people, many of who are kids under 18. Statewide, that number climbs to nearly 200,000 people. Whether they can't afford food for their family or do not have access to food, food insecurity is real.

There are several organizations in the tri-states doing their part to help.  One of those organizations is the  Westminster Presbyterian Church on University Avenue in Dubuque.  The parishioners at Westminster are hosting a Drive-Thru food giveaway at the church at 2155 University Ave this Saturday, August 27th from 8 am till 11 am or till the food runs out. The goal is to distribute 15,000 pounds of food to 200 families.

Want to help? They need at least 30 volunteers from 8:00-11:00 a.m. in the parking lot to provide traffic control, unload the food truck, greet and register our participants, and load food into their cars. Sign up at the Information Station at the back of the sanctuary or in the church office, or contact Tom Stovall at 563-581-7220 or at tomstov@aol.com Please feel free to invite family and friends, and neighbors to help.

In researching this story, I learned a new term. "Food Desert". A food desert is defined as a low-income census tract, where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. This data is relevant because it highlights populations and geographies facing food insecurity

Inclusive Dubuque is another organization working to fight food insecurity. Inclusive Dubuque is a local network of leaders from faith, labor, education, business, nonprofit, and government dedicated to advancing justice and social equity in our community.  In a recent survey by Inclusive Dubuque, over 76% of respondents believe that fresh and healthy food is accessible in Dubuque but 57% do not believe it is affordable.

If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, there is help available.  In addition to the above organizations, here are a few others willing to lending

.MASBIA

SALVATION ARMY

RIVER BEND FOOD PANTRY

Various other places for help can be found HERE