HACAP to double summer food distribution under ‘Healthy Kids’ program

WASHINGTON — The Hawkeye Area Community Action Program plans to provide roughly twice as much food as it’s used to through its food bank this summer, as part of a partnership with the state’s “Healthy Kids Iowa” program, announced earlier this month. Gov. Kim Reynolds has pitched the pilot project as an alternative to summertime food stamp funds for lower-income children who would rely on school meals the rest of the year.

In a press release earlier this month, Reynolds’ office said the collaboration with contracted community food providers across the state would save taxpayer dollars, after the state opted out of summertime federal EBT funds for the same purpose.

“I’m grateful to the USDA and Secretary (Brooke) Rollins for partnering with the State of Iowa and placing their trust in our statewide network of meal providers,” Reynolds said in the press release. “Together we’re building on the strong foundation already in place to better meet the unique needs of Iowa’s children and families.”

The press release said eligible families — those at or below 185% of the federal poverty level with children ages 4-18 — would get their pick of $40 worth of groceries from area food banks per child per month.

At HACAP — a community action program whose food bank serves seven counties, including Washington — that’ll mean roughly twice the usual summertime spending to provide food, according to HACAP Food Reservoir Director Kim Guardado.

“With this program, we will be ordering a lot of extra food that we will work with our existing partners, or potentially some new partners, to be able to distribute,” Guardado said. “From a purchased food perspective, we usually spend around $150,000 a month buying food. And for this, our food bank will spend over $300,000 a month buying food, so it will be a pretty significant amount.”

Specific info about where the food will be distributed in each community is pending. Guardado said in early May that her organization was still working out the fine details.

“We have our existing network of our 300 partners, so many of them I assume will want to be a part of (this,)” Guardado said. “Some pantries might not have the room to store extra food, or they’re not able to participate for some reason or another. So in some communities we may need to find additional partners.”

As of May 21, The Union could find no list of distribution centers for the Healthy Kids Iowa program. In an email, Iowa Health and Human Services Director of Communications Alex Murphy said one would be posted by June 1, adding that there would be at least one site in each of the state’s 99 counties.

Some have criticized the Healthy Kids Iowa program, saying it’ll leave families with fewer choices than they once had under the EBT program, which could be used at grocery stores.

In a statement released shortly after Reynolds’ announcement of the Healthy Kids program, nonprofit Iowa Hunger Coalition voiced potentially limited selections and operating hours among a handful of concerns about the change.

“One of the reasons the Summer EBT program has been so successful nationwide is it delivers benefits directly to families and ensures they can use additional summer food dollars in their communities,” IHC said. “This has been especially important for rural communities who often struggle to easily access summer feeding sites and food pantries that can be geographically distant or only operate during typical working hours for parents.”

Gov. Reynolds’ press release said participating families would have the chance to select items based on “their preferences and cultural and dietary needs.” And while Murphy did not directly answer a question about the cost efficiency or diversity of options available through Healthy Kids pilot program, his email said summer feeding sites would “identify the specific needs of their communities and ensure access to the eligible families.”

The USDA’s summer EBT program — also known as SUN Bucks — offered the same monthly allocation per eligible school-age child, according to the USDA, which said Iowa was one of 12 states to opt out of the program in 2025. And much like Healthy Kids Iowa, the state’s threshold for SUN Bucks is also 185% or below the federal poverty level, based on its free and reduced school meal guidelines.

Some distributors hope the pilot project’s spending will prove more efficient, thanks to food banks’ ability to buy supplies in bulk, giving them considerably more spending power than a single shopper.

But as far as the variety of options available, Guardado said the number of choices would likely vary from one pantry to the next.

HACAP’s food bank, she said, would focus on options for families in a variety of living arrangements: selections will likely include a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well staples like ground beef and canned chicken, and single-serving freezer meals that children could prepare for themselves, if needed. She added that local options may adjust over time based on public feedback.

“We’re trying to find a lot of different kinds of foods that could meet lots of cultural invitations, as well as just food likes and dislikes,” Guardado said. “We know it’s not the same as going to a grocery store, but we want to have a lot of food options available and we’re hoping that it makes a difference for families.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com