Reaching rural communities

April 9, 2024

Howard County is home to approximately 9,400 people on our state’s northeast border. It is the boyhood home of humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Norman Borlaug. However, in the home county of a man who saved millions of lives by preventing hunger and famine, 213,200 meals are missing, according to Feeding America. “Everyone is facing rising food costs, but in rural areas, the distance you have to travel to your grocery store can be significant, which is a barrier and an additional expense,” said Karli Schmelzer, operations and development director for Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC).

Thankfully, nonprofits are filling the meal gap for residents across the county. The NEICAC, Riceville Food Pantry, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, and Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging uniquely address area food insecurity while partnering to ensure the spectrum of needs, from child to senior citizen, is met.

In 2023, the Howard County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, provided funding to each of these organizations addressing food insecurity for a total of $25,000 in grants.

The organizations with a regional reach work alongside those based in Howard County to create local solutions to hunger. They partner to make resources go farther for the people they serve. “We’ve only got so many dollars, and there’s so much need out there right now that we want to make sure we’re leveraging what we are doing by talking to other organizations,” said Janet Buls, director of nutrition services for Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging.

These nonprofits work together to reach as many in need as possible by providing grocery options at the community pantry, gathering people to enjoy a hot meal, or having food delivered to someone’s door. “We support each other so we can do more,” said Diane Setka, Riceville Food Pantry board secretary. “Community collaboration is key to ending hunger in Howard County.”