FOOD RESERVOIR Annual Report
ANNUAL REPORT Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc.
20 21
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents 3
MISSION + VISION
4
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
5
HEALTH + NUTRITION
6
A NOTE FROM OUR FOOD RESERVOIR
7
FOOD RESERVOIR ADVISORY COUNCIL
9
FINANCIALS
OUR MISSION
Helping people develop skills to become successful and build strong communities OUR VISION
A thriving community where all people have the opportunities for success
3.
The last twelve months have been a period of tremendous growth at HACAP. We expanded our service area by adding three northern counties, previously served by Operation New View Community Action Agency – Dubuque, Delaware, and Jackson. In addition to the community action programs, we also were awarded funding to provide Head Start services in that three county area. As the COVID-19 Pandemic continued to affect our lives, more families were being impacted financially and the demand for our services increased. Not only did we see returning families come back for assistance, but families who had never before reached out for assistance were coming to us to get help. Last year we served 16,400 households, more than the previous year. I am proud to say that we rose to the occasion, identified needs in the community, mobilized our resources and delivered new programs to meet the needs of fragile families. Our team members and volunteers work so diligently to provide impactful services to our clients, delivering them with dignity and respect. You are a very resilient force and are what makes HACAP the wonderful organization that it is.
A NOTE FROM OUR CEO
Greetings,
Thank you to each and every one of you - you are champions! I look forward to the future and the great opportunities we can offer to the families and communities we serve!
Thank you,
Jane Drapeaux
Chief Executive Officer
4.
Health + Nutrition 5.
Native prairie grasses have roots up to ten times longer than most turf grasses. These roots help them withstand the wind and erosion and reach water deep in the earth during droughts. In short, it makes the grasses more resilient. Like prairie grass facing dry conditions, during the last 18 months we've had to dig our roots deep and grow more resilient in our work to ensure the people we serve have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive. We made staffing changes designed to help us better meet the needs of our community. A fulltime volunteer coordinator oversees all our on-site volunteers and works with community groups to create meaningful engagement opportunities. Two new Regional Partnership Coordinators (RPC) started working in all seven counties to perform community assessments, engage with partner agencies, and build connections so we can respond to community needs as they arise. The RPCs are planting seeds to grow deep roots in all seven counties while recognizing that each community is different and has unique assets and challenges. Access to nutritious food is essential for families to thrive, but it isn't the only challenge many families face. Families who face food insecurity often face impossible choices between competing financial priorities - food, rent, medication costs, childcare, transportation - the list goes on. This fall, we started developing resources to help our partner agencies address the clients more holistically.
A NOTE FROM OUR FOOD RESERVOIR
Greetings,
Someone seeking assistance from a food pantry might also qualify for SNAP or be able to get help with winter energy bills. We can help clients have the opportunity to succeed by providing them with wraparound support. Another piece of this holistic approach is through partnerships with healthcare providers. A grant opportunity has allowed us to pilot a program at Mercy Medical Center to screen patients in specific departments for food "insecurity and connect them directly with food or resources as needed. When we think about addressing root causes of hunger we cannot ignore the role government policies play in helping families thrive. During the pandemic, the USDA removed barriers to SNAP access and by looking at their newly released food-insecurity data we can see that the policy changes worked. Fewer people reported experiencing food insecurity than projected because of the assistance they were able to receive. There is an opportunity for food banks, partner agencies, and supporters to continue to advocate for policies that address root causes of poverty. We are all learning in our own lives what our "new normal" looks like. Our work as a food bank is no different. We are leaning into these new opportunities to grow and change to help build strong communities filled with nourished neighbors. As we move forward together we extend a huge thank you to our volunteers, donors, and partners for all that they do to help feed people. We can’t wait to see what we can do together in the future!
Kim Guardado
Food Reservoir Director
6.
FOOD RESERVOIR ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMUNITY Leah Rodenberg Ashley Balius Tim Getty Ann Hearn Jay Larson Scott Wilson Jasmine Wu Jon Buse Jenna Lovass STAFF Jane Drapeaux Kim Guardado Angie Albright Allyn Glenn-Angell Tyler Mills Taylor Glanz
Distributed enough food for 10 Million meals Expanded the Inclusively Appropriate Foods Program
7.
“I’m proud to work alongside community members on the HACAP Food Advisory Council to educate and advocate for solutions to address food insecurity in our communities. The HACAP Food Reservoir has been crucial in supporting families in crisis during a pandemic and a natural disaster. We are very fortunate to have HACAP in East Central Iowa, partnering with over 165 local agencies to serve families in need.”
Leah Rodenberg
Council President
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8.
Financials 9.
10. 11. 11.
11.
HACAP.ORG