Stop Starvation: Miss Burlington’s Outstanding Teen 2019

Thank you for clicking on my link for the Food Bank of Iowa! Your support means so much to me as Miss Burlington's Outstanding Teen to help my community with an issue I care deeply about. Firstly, let me share with you some facts about hunger in Burlington. Feeding America's latest data on food insecure individuals in Des Moines County shows 13.4% of citizens do not have access to a reliable food source. In the state of Iowa 341,890 people go hungry on a regular basis. In the City of Burlington, only three food pantries are available. Food Insecurity is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food." In 2020, on top of the challenges of poverty when considering the fight against hunger, we now face a worldwide pandemic. Closures and social distancing procedures limit already scarce food distribution centers' accessibility and with many people now being on leave from their jobs, affording food is even harder. School closures prevent some children from getting what would normally be the only food they have access to. Considering the general hardships in securing a reliable food source, stress and a lack of adequate nutrition in a pandemic situation only worsen problems- in fact, healthcare in Iowa costs on average $121 more for adults who are food secure versus those who have a reliable food source. Furthermore, insufficient meals lead to a higher chance of poor health and chronic diseases and increase the risk of contracting infections due to a weak immune system. So, where do you fit into this? Your donation helps the Food Bank of Iowa provide hunger relief in Iowa via a network of pantries across the state. During these times where we're dealing with COVID-19, Food Bank of Iowa is taking additional steps to ensure as many Iowans as possible get help. They've broadened their efforts by adding curbside pantry services, coordination with schools to offer meal pickups and packing emergency boxes for communities. Your donation helps keep these additional efforts running in this time of uncertainty! Together we can Stop Starvation in Burlington and beyond.