Local families could face tougher times putting food on table after budget reconciliation bill

DES MOINES — North-central Iowa families could soon face tougher times putting food on the table.

The budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress this summer is set to hit the state with higher costs for food assistance and leaders say charities are not able to fill the gap. In 2023, nearly one in eight Iowans, close to 400,000 people, struggled with food insecurity, including more than 120,000 children.

Food Bank of Iowa spokeswoman Annette Hacker warns of a ripple effect. She says the generous donors her organization depends on are also feeling the pinch.  “They too, as generous as they are, have to look at their cost of living and what they pay for groceries, and all the commitments that they have,” Hacker observed. “It’s all happening simultaneously.”

Cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s emergency food program have caused food banks to lose more than one-point-four meals in some regions, forcing them to scramble for alternatives. 

Hacker points out the new budget bill represents the largest cut to food assistance in history, stripping away the equivalent of six billion meals a year. However, she adds in spite of the strain, they are committed to helping those in need and are currently supplying clients using 57% of their own inventory. “The last few years, USDA has made up 25% to 30% of our inventory,” Hacker explained. “But when USDA is diminished – as it is right now – bottom line, in order to keep food coming in the door to stock the shelves, we’ve got to fundraise more.”

Hacker emphasized it is only the first wave. In two years, Iowa could face between $26 million and $79 million in additional SNAP costs, depending on the state’s error rate.

The Food Bank of Iowa gathers and distributes food to 700 partners across 55 Iowa counties, including Cerro Gordo, Worth, Franklin, Winnebago, Hancock and Wright counties in our listening area