Iowa Food Bank Association

Grant Summary

Iowa Food Bank Association’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly recognized as food stamps) was created after recognizing the large gap in access for many of Iowa’s rural counties. In the past five years, 57 of Iowa’s 99 county DHS offices have closed. This reduction in local offices has made access to SNAP application assistance extremely difficult for the many Iowans who live in rural communities with limited or no public transportation. IFBA’s project focuses on providing access to those Iowans who no longer have the ability to get assistance from a permanent local office via a strategic mobile outreach program. IFBA is recognized as the sole SNAP application assistance provider outside of a local DHS office. This project helps allow them to maximize that reality and address food assistance needs, particularly for rural and rural elderly Iowans.