Iowa Food Banks Receive $50,000 from Amerigroup to Support Disaster Relief Response Efforts
DES MOINES (Aug. 21, 2020) – Several food banks in Iowa received $50,000 from Amerigroup to support ongoing disaster recovery efforts and continue Amerigroup’s commitment to improving lives and communities. The funding will increase access to healthy food for nearly 80,000 Iowans who are rebuilding lives and communities following the August 10 derecho.
The storm left at least a third of the state with significant damage and some areas are entering their second week without power. Amerigroup’s relief efforts will provide meals to families, children, and seniors to ensure access and affordability of healthy meals so fewer Iowans will go hungry in the coming days.
To address the immediate needs of impacted communities, Amerigroup provided funding to the following local Feeding America food banks:
· Food Bank of Iowa (Des Moines)
· HACAP Food Reservoir (Hiawatha)
· Northeast Iowa Food Bank (Waterloo)
· River Bend Foodbank (Davenport)
“On behalf of all of us at Food Bank of Iowa, we want to thank Amerigroup for their generous support,” said Michelle Book, President and CEO of Food Bank of Iowa. “Donations like this allow us to respond quickly in the time of crisis and increased need. The gift from Amerigroup will provide up to 50,000 meals to Iowa children, families and seniors facing food insecurity.”
“Before the derecho blew through eastern Iowa, 1 in 8 of our community members faced food insecurity,” said Kim Guardado, Food Reservoir Director. “Now that our community faces widespread damage and lost food from power outages the number of households struggling to get enough to eat has increased significantly. We are grateful for the support of partners like Amerigroup that allows us to ramp up our operations to meet the growing need for food.”
“There are thousands of children, seniors, families and individuals across northeast Iowa whose lives have recently turned upside down, first by a global pandemic, and now in the aftermath of the derecho,” said Barbara Prather, Northeast Iowa Food Bank Executive Director. “Thanks to Amerigroup’s $12,500 donation, we can now provide up to 50,000 meals to those impacted by these recent events, and it is a great example that we can overcome any unexpected crisis, with unexpected generosity.”
As part of Amerigroup’s efforts to address the social determinants of health, including food insecurity, and continue to adapt to the ever-changing environment, Amerigroup remains focused on fostering deeper relationships and developing real-time solutions to meet critical needs for the local community. The tragic storm events only heighten the food insecurity issues that continue to impact individuals and families across the state. According to Feeding America, one in nine Iowans are food insecure.
“Amerigroup Iowa continues to partner with members and our local community to provide the necessary tools and resources to reduce and address food insecurity during these difficult times,” said Jeffrey Jones, plan president, Amerigroup Iowa. “Through our rapid response efforts, we were able to mobilize, scale and reach into local communities across eastern and central Iowa that were greatly impacted by recent events. We remain committed to making food more accessible, especially for our most vulnerable members and we’re grateful for existing partnerships we have been able to deepen to make a difference in how we achieve better health.”
Amerigroup and its Foundation have partnered with dozens of Iowa nonprofit organizations to support emergency response, food access, personal protective equipment supplies, education, affordable housing, and virtual programming. Since the beginning of the year, Amerigroup Iowa has committed almost $250,000 to support Iowa communities.
Amerigroup and its Foundation continue to work with national partners including Feeding America, the American Red Cross, Americares, Direct Relief and numerous others to ensure access to emergency assistance for individuals and families.
Amerigroup Iowa will continue to announce updates and resources that can help provide increased access to food, care and alleviate the added stress on individuals, families and the community.
For volunteer opportunities in your area please visit Volunteer Iowa. For storm recovery, assistance programs and additional resources please visit Iowa Disaster Assistance.
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About Amerigroup Iowa
Amerigroup Iowa, an Anthem Company, helps improve health care access and quality for approximately 400,000 Iowa residents who participate in the state’s Medicaid programs. Amerigroup serves Iowans by developing and delivering innovative care management programs and services. Amerigroup Iowa members are assured care that is not only accessible, but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated and patient-centered. It provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in their health care. For more information about Amerigroup, please visit https://www.myamerigroup.com/ia/iowa-home.html.
