Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank celebrates 30th year

The Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank started in the early 1980’s during turbulent financial times much like today. Since the beginning, Hy-Vee in Mason City has played a large part in the organization that has assisted hundreds and thousands of residents put food on their tables. General Manager of Hy-Vee East, Al Bock, is currently serving as the president just as his predecessors: the first being among the founders of area businessmen. The mission is to meet the “emergency food needs” of the community.

Mohawk Square, on 22 North Georgia Avenue, has always housed the dispensary. Individuals wishing to acquire a food box obtain vouchers from area agencies including the Department of Human Services, Salvation Army, Crisis Intervention and several churches. Volunteers pack boxes that hold enough food to provide three meals a day for four days a person. Recipients are allowed only four packages every six months. Over three fourths of those requiring aid are employed.

There are two to three large food drives a year; the most bountiful held in May by United States Postal carriers. This helps the Food Bank get ready for the busiest time of the year; the summer when school-aged children are home from school putting extra burden on families already struggling to make ends meet. Another busy time for the food bank is at the end of the month when WIC and food stamps run out but they are only able to “bridge the gap” left between other forms of assistance.

Not only donations of non-perishable food items during drives help the agency in serving those in need. Money donated goes a very long way in purchasing food from the Food Bank of Iowa at 14 cents a pound. Businesses help by donating extra inventory While at the food bank two delivery drivers came in with 50 cases of flavored water. On the counter there were several squash from a local gardener with a surplus.

The Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank is one hundred percent volunteer run and in dire need of more hands. In the last two years , the number of meals distributed has grown from approximately 107,000 to between 120,000 to 122,000 projected for the end of this year. The increase in need has not resulted in more volunteers which is troublesome for the organization. The average age of current volunteers is over sixty years old. Volunteers do much more than pack boxes for three hours; after a large food drive donations need to be unloaded and moved from trucks to storage areas accessible only by a staircase two floors up. There are those that also go to area stores and churches to pick up donations. Even the Volunteer Coordinator is giving his time and being older than the average volunteer is looking for a like-minded soul willing to begin to take over his duties.

There are other challenges for the Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank. The location they occupy is slowly becoming inadequate. It is not easily accessible by disabled persons. There is no computer system. Any and all tracking of recipients is hand-written resulting in several mistakes a day that can be trying for the patience of volunteers and those served. During the recent heat wave volunteers soldiered on without air conditioning, but the volunteers that are there continue because they know it makes a difference. As long as there is the need there will be those there to fill it.