A newer event is happening in Jefferson later this month with an organization that feeds the whole state.

The Food Bank of Iowa is hosting a series of town hall-style events called “Up Close and Personal” with CEO Michelle Book. She will be at the Jefferson Community Golf Course Clubhouse on Tuesday, April 25th starting at 10am. Book tells Raccoon Valley Radio she will be talking about food insecurity in Iowa, what the Food Bank of Iowa does and wants to hear feedback from community members about any additional services they can help provide. 

Book says she travels to all 55 counties the Food Bank of Iowa serves and talks with their community partners, but this year she wanted to expand those discussions.

“Where we can hear from a broader base of the community. Not just the pantry partners or the meal sites that we collaborate with, but others in the community that are working within that space of human services, basic needs, but others who might have an opinion, some ideas. We want to bring the community together for a community-wide conversation.”    

Books appreciates the partnership the Food Bank of Iowa has with the local Greene County entities, including the Greene County Action Resource Center and Northside Assembly of God in Jefferson, Sweet Treats Food Pantry in Scranton and the two food pantries with the Greene County and Paton-Churdan School Districts.

“We cannot be successful in our mission to alleviate hunger in Iowa without those smaller, frontline, hard working partners. So it is all about collaboration. Everything we do from finding food donors and food rescue, to getting the food out the door relies on collaboration.”

Tuesday’s event is free and open to the public with no registrations needed.