Jefferson County to receive grant for food insecurity

Jefferson County has been selected to receive a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for food insecurity in response to COVID-19. There are several steps and policies that need to be put in place at the county level to meet grant requirements. Those steps will hopefully take place over the next several Board of Supervisors' meetings. The grant will help people in need as follows:

' Carry-on Bags: $13,200 which is serving over 300 bags of supplemental food per week.

' Drive By Supper: $4,800. The need has increased from 40 pre-COVID meals to 100 meals /week. The grant helps fund another day per week if we find an organization to help. The grant includes up to $1,000 for the purchase of an upright freezer.

' Pilot program for outlying communities: $4,500. There's a need for food in rural Jefferson County. This is a pilot program to serve meals one night per week in towns such as Lockridge, Batavia, Libertyville, and Packwood. The pilot program will allow us to determine the ongoing feasibility of this type of program. A few volunteers, a church or organization in the towns is needed to help start this program. The program will be similar to Drive By Supper.

For more information contact Dee Sandquist, Jefferson County Supervisor, at 641-451-1293 or dsandquist@jeffersoncountyia.com