Some in Congress rail against the poor and vote to take away the food stamps that are often all some families have to keep them going. Two of Iowa’s representatives voted to take away food stamps. I doubt either Steve King or Tom Latham has ever looked a hungry person in the eye. To them the concept of hungry people in America must seem to be a fantasy that can be corrected by simply telling them to go to work.
But in the cities and towns of Iowa, hunger is a reality. It is an everyday reality that affects young and old alike, many of whom are working. It is well documented that families can’t survive on the little bit that the government allows for a family on food stamps along with jobs barely paying above minimum wage. What is really a shame is students who are innocent victims of this game of punishing the poor.
In our little town of West Liberty we have a great need. The need has grown tremendously over the past year. We have many students who are what is classified as food insecure. To meet this need, a couple of our leading citizens have established what is known as the “backpack program.” The purpose of the backpack program is to send food home with a food insecure student.
Most people understand that the key to ending poverty is education. But getting an education is hard to do when a stomach is empty. So while some elite in Congress see withholding food stamps as a way punish poverty, many people in towns across Iowa and other states are coming up with novel ideas to help keep the wolf from the door without the stigma being poor can bring.
If you would like to send a donation, we could sure use it. As I said, our need has grown greatly this year. The Methodist Church acts as a collector of donations here. Here is the address where monetary donations can be sent:
You may make a check payable to the West Liberty Backpack Program and mail it or drop it off at the church.
West Liberty Backpack Program
c/o United Methodist Church Missions
113 East 5th St.
West Liberty, IA 52776
Or if you are passing through some day, the owners of our local coffee shop have graciously offered to take donations. The Local Grounds Coffee Shop is located at 103 West Third Street in downtown West Liberty. They are open from 6AM to 2PM weekdays, until noon on Saturdays and closed Sundays
If you want to make a food donation what we need is single serving non-perishable foods. Some examples would be single serving soups or spaghetti, single serving peanut butter, applesauce or similar items. We are not allowed to break out servings from a single box. That is a general guideline.
We thank you very much.
Blog For Iowa 