Dubuque food bank, church to host food distribution event as need for food assistance increases

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) - A church and a food bank in Dubuque are partnering to host a food distribution event on Saturday, this comes as staff at that food bank say they are seeing more people need their help.

Staff and volunteers at St. Stephen’s Food Bank will pre-pack the food and later unload it at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Then, starting at 9:00 a.m., volunteers at the church will give out the food until supplies last to families that show up. It is a drive-thru event and no registration is required.

According to Kathy Hutton, site director at St. Stephen’s, food insecurity in Dubuque County has been up at least 37 percent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now with emergency SNAP benefits expired, she said there is even a bigger need for their help.

“Some of our pantries are experiencing an increase, they have not given me numbers yet, but I know the food is still going out of here heavy,” she mentioned. “And then also what we have noticed is there are a lot more calls here. People that have never had to use a food bank and they do not know the procedure, so I explain that to them and tell them where to go and how to get food.”

Hutton said volunteers are expecting to serve around 200 families on Saturday morning.

With an increase in need, Hutton said donations, both in food items and monetary, are more crucial than ever.

“Donations are very crucial because we need that monetary amount to turn one dollar into five meals so that we can continue to feed people,” she explained. “And then also keep everything going here because we have the lights and the gas and vehicles and insurance and everything.”

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