Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tawny Kruse | Cpl. Grant Crown, a plumber with the 831st Engineer Company, Iowa Army National Guard,...... read more read more
Three lanes of cars lined the parking lot of the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines on Wednesday, April 30, all waiting to pick up food donations. Iowa National Guard Soldiers and civilian volunteers in protective masks could be seen distributing food and directing traffic flow. Approximately 30 Soldiers with the 831st Engineer Company were activated to support the food bank as the employees work to keep up with increasing demand for food in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michelle Book, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa, said planning for the mission began weeks ago.
“This is an absolute game changer,” Book said, “I had employees who came in this morning and said, ‘Thank God the National Guard showed up.’”
The Soldiers have set up two locations – one is designed for vehicle staging to control traffic flow, the other is for food pickup.
“Because there’s limited space and we don’t want to block traffic here at the food bank, we’re staging at Grandview University parking lots,” said 1st Lt. John Eaton, officer in charge of the mission. “We line them up, send them in groups and mark them.”
Eaton, of Ames, Iowa, commended the food bank workers and volunteers for their hard work, touting them as the real heroes.
“This is a great way to help my community,” Eaton said. “I didn’t join the National Guard just to have drill weekend.”
The knowledge and expertise of the Soldiers has allowed the food bank to carry out the mission in the most efficient manner, Book said. With unemployment rates that now exceed those of the Great Depression, the people of Iowa need food assistance now more than ever.
According to Book, twice as much food will be delivered to rural communities thanks to the Iowa National Guard’s help.
“We are fortunate people indeed,” Book said. “Iowans stand together when there’s a crisis. With the National Guard, I know you’re all local people with families and careers, but you’re showing up in a big way to make sure our fellow Iowans are well cared for, and I’m grateful.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2020 17:15 |
| Story ID: | 368931 |
| Location: | DES MOINES, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | AMES, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | DES MOINES, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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