Fareway Stores, Inc. and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation have partnered once again to donate a truckload of protein to six Feeding America food banks across the state.
Fareway, with several grocery stores across the bistate Quad Cities, announced that the organizations delivered the donation Monday, Nov. 24, to the Food Bank of Iowa as part of their annual Meat the Need partnership.
The 23 pallets totaling 25,000 pounds of protein will be distributed to Iowa’s six Feeding America food banks. The donation is the equivalent of 100,000 servings for Iowans in need.
Dos Rios taco meat (12,000 pounds) was secured through a partnership with Two Rivers, while the ground pork portion (13,000 pounds) was purchased from Webster City Custom Meats.
“Fareway is honored to join forces with the Iowa Farm Bureau for the fourth year of Meat the Need,” Jeff Cook, vice president of Retail Market Operations, said in a news release Monday. “Together, we’re making a meaningful impact by providing protein to families who need it most. This donation reflects our ongoing commitment to serving the communities where our employees and customers live.”
Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Meat the Need initiative ensures families across Iowa have access to essential protein during a critical time of year.
“Iowa farmers take great pride in growing and raising the food that supports our communities,” Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson said. “Food insecurity is a challenge that many families are currently facing.”
He added that the ‘Meat the Need’ partnership aims to “provide fresh, high-quality protein to those who need support.”
Since the Meat the Need program’s inception, the partnership has delivered hundreds of thousands of protein servings to Iowans in need.
Focus on hunger relief
The donation comes on the heels of many local, state and other initiatives aimed at hunger relief to be recently rolled out, including:
- Earlier this month, Fareway launched a month-long initiative aimed at supporting individuals and families facing food insecurity in its Midwest communities. The campaign offers convenient opportunities for Fareway customers to donate food to those in need.
- The Quad Cities Student Hunger Drive raised a record 3 million meals this year. A large assist came from a new Million Meals Match that engaged about 20 local businesses in the effort.
- Just last week, the Community Foundation of the Quad Cities announced with nine other community partners that they would match dollar for dollar donations to River Bend Food Bank, up to $250,000. As of Monday more than $83,000 had been raised.
- On Monday, Nov. 24, Tapestry Farms and its partners announced that the inaugural growing season of the initiative GIFT Gardens (short for Growing Illowa Food Together) – assembled a community of beginner to advanced gardeners who grew and donated fresh produce to local food pantries and hunger relief agencies. In its first growing season, local GIFT gardeners raised and donated 64,063 pounds of food – far surpassing the program’s initial 5,000-pound goal.
The Meat the Need donation also arrives at a pivotal moment in food banking. “Food banks across Iowa are serving a record number of individuals — many seeking assistance for the very first time,” Mr. Johnson added.
According to Food Bank of Iowa’s Tami Nielsen “Protein is critical for a balanced diet, yet it’s often the hardest item for food banks to source. Thanks to Fareway and the Iowa Farm Bureau, thousands of Iowans will have access to high-quality protein this season.”
The food bank’s president and CEO added “We are deeply grateful for their continued generosity and partnership.”
Meat the Need partners
The Midwest grocery chain Fareway currently operates 143 stores in a seven-state region. In the metro Quad Cities, it has locations in Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline and LeClaire. It also broke ground last week on a new Coal Valley store, first announced in May of 2024.
The family-owned grocer has been recognized as a top 10 employer in Iowa, and has more than 13,000 total employees.
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is the largest statewide, grassroots farm organization in Iowa. For more than 100 years, it has focused on creating a vibrant future for agriculture, farm families and their communities. For more information, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.
