(Graettinger)– We told you in some recent newscasts about a grant awarded to Upper Des Moines Opportunity, or UDMO, to support its food pantry operations in five of the 12 counties they serve in the region.
As we reported, the $20,000 grant from the Taylor Family Farms Foundation will assist the agency’s food pantries in Emmet, O’Brien, Osceola, Pocahontas and Wright counties. Shakira Meyer is the Director of Program Development, Compliance and Reporting for UDMO…
“Really focusing on purchases of protein items in particular, meats, peanut butter, beans, just different things to help bolster what we’re already able to provide through the donations we get in those communities. Again, it’s not that we don’t get donations, it’s just that the donations aren’t as large in those areas. You know some of our other counties, Dickinson, Clay, BV, those areas we get a lot of community support, so we thought let’s focus on those areas where we could really boost it if we were funded through the grant.”
She adds the funding comes at a crucial time…
“We get great community support at those holiday times, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the food pantry is utilized year-round. So when we get to May, June, July, those donations that we received during the holiday time have already gone out the door to assist families. And so this will really help us bring in new food items, re-stock, in that time where donations just aren’t as high. It will be super valuable.”
Meyer says the support UDMO receives from the communities they serve is extremely valuable in that it gives them leverage when applying for grants such as this…
“A lot of times the grants require co-funding and so because of the generosity, Taylor Family Farms said yes. They looked at our grant and said you guys can show that co-funding, so they are supporting our efforts to really provide that support. But really just encourage the communities. You know, if you have it in your budget to provide a contribution to Upper Des Moines or other local pantries. We are not the only pantry available across our 12 county area. So if there’s another one that people want to support, by all means do that. But those financial contributions so really make a big difference for us because the purchase power we have and our partnership with Food Bank of Iowa, we are able to purchase food and resources pennies on the dollar and we can stretch those dollars much further.”
Meyer says the grant will allow UDMO to purchase protein-rich foods for those five counties, including things like peanut butter, fresh and frozen meats, eggs, canned meats, and beans.
