Allamakee County Food Shelf still going strong at its original location

by Lissa Blake

Despite a change in leadership and surrounding landscape, it’s been business as usual at the Allamakee County Food Shelf (ACFS) in Waukon.
Jessie Howe recently took over as coordinator of the program, when longtime volunteer Alaine Meier stepped down due to health concerns. “She certainly left some big shoes to fill,” said Howe of Meier, who ran the Food Shelf for 15 years.
Howe, who has volunteered at AFCS for about seven years, said Meier had been training her for some time to take over the operation. “She taught me how to order online from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo, and she started taking a step back. In October, she decided she would step down,” said Howe, adding she is really enjoying her work. “There’s a sense of fulfillment in being a volunteer. When you help someone else, you get a lot out of it, too.”

A NEEDED SERVICE
In a recent letter to the community, Howe shared some statistics about food insecurity. “In Iowa, 14.4 percent of all households (172,000) are food insecure. That means one in six Iowa children under the age of 18 are food insecure,” she said.
In addition, Howe said poverty is closely tied to hunger, and more than 11 percent (314,000) Iowans are at or below poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Howe said the Food Shelf’s regular hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each Thursday. New hours include from 3-7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month.
Howe explained in order to start using the Food Shelf, people should just stop in during business hours. She said the first visit takes a little bit of time.
“We ask that people bring a photo ID with their current address, some sort of bill that verifies their mailing address and a pay stub. With tax season here, a W-2 works really well,” said Howe.
Howe said the income information is kept confidential and is supplied to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank for its records. She encourages anyone who wonders if they may be eligible to stop in and ask.
“If someone qualifies for free and reduced student lunches, they qualify. Most senior citizens qualify. We also occasionally make exceptions to the income guidelines, for example if you just had a baby and your husband is a seasonal worker, or you’ve had a fire or sudden death in the family. There are extenuating circumstances,” she said.

PAPERWORK EASIER
Howe said one nice change in the rules is that families no longer have to provide paperwork quarterly, they can just bring it in once a year. “The paperwork was getting to be a lot. Now it should be easier for people,” she said.

HELP WELCOME
Howe said ACFS is always looking for volunteers and monetary donations. Because of the volume discounts the Northeast Iowa Food Bank receives when buying food, $1 donated to the Food Shelf equals $11.86 worth of food.
Donations are tax-deductible, and can be sent to Allamakee County Food Shelf Secretary Patsy Kerndt at 1230 Highway 9, Waukon. For more information, call Kerndt at 563-568-3994.
In addition, the Food Shelf offers volunteers a flexible schedule and encourages people to inquire. “Helping here really makes you feel like you’re making a difference,” she said.
Most volunteers work between four and 10 hours a week. Help is always needed on the third Wednesday of the month, when the truck arrives from the Food Bank. “We really need some able-bodied people who are able to lift 50 pounds,” said Howe.
The Food Shelf benefits from collaboration with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and several area gardeners who provide fresh produce to the Food Shelf on occasion.

LOOKING FORWARD
Howe said although some people have inquired as to the future of the Food Shelf in light of some recent changes in the landscape surrounding the facility, it has no intention of going anywhere. “We just signed a three-year contract with Dave Stilwell, who owns the property,” said Howe.
In addition, Howe said she is thankful Meier is still involved. “I’m staying on the Board, but I’m not active at this time,” said Meier, adding she thinks Howe will do a great job.
Other Board members include Duane Smith, Barb Leppert, Lillian Christianson, Nona Sawyer, Julie Rotach, Erik Nykkanen, Karilyn Lenth, Dan Scholtes, Jon Payne and Ann Roed.
For more information, call Howe at 563-568-4992.