Feeding folks at every age

by Kylie Petty

Hunger looks different at every stage of life. It can hamper a kindergartner distracted by an empty stomach, a college student struggling to make nourishing meals or a veteran waiting in line at a food bank. Under the theme “From the Ground Up,” this year’s Iowa Hunger Summit explored solutions to tackle hunger for every age group. Here are a few voices from the event.

Free meals at school

Kelly McMahon, a kindergarten teacher at Hoover Community Schools in Cedar Rapids and vice president of the Iowa State Education Association, said teachers often pay out of pocket to buy students food so they’re ready to learn. To help, and to fight the stigma some kids used to feel, all Hoover students now receive free breakfast and lunch.

Although many districts offer free or reduced lunches, sometimes that sign-up form gets lost between school and home. Kids forget or misplace it. Others avoid it because they don’t want to be singled out. The all-school program removes that barrier.

Since hunger extends beyond the school year, many schools offer summer programs that not only feed kids but teach them how to cook for themselves. “You have to be a solutions provider, not just a program provider,” said Aaron Dworkin, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association.

Town and gown teamwork

Ashley Dyson, a former intern with the World Food Prize Foundation and former student body president at Drake University, explained how Drake students created little pantries around the neighborhood. Locals leave shelf-stable foods and take what they need. Drake also designated a room on campus where students can access fresh produce for free.

Jakob Jerabek, a graduate student and greenhouse manager at Morningside University, helped the school grow more than 3.5 tons of produce in 2024. The school’s food-service team serves the produce in the cafeteria and donates the surplus to local pantries. Jerabek encouraged volunteers to “find those around you with common interests.”

Solutions for seniors and veterans

Tim Getty, regional nutrition services coordinator of the Heritage Area Agency on Aging in Cedar Rapids, helps run Encore Cafe, a pop-up cafe that serves senior citizens through donations, vouchers and meals.

Deb Fenton-Roe, a U.S. Army veteran, helps lead the Veterans Mobile Food Bank, which serves more than 200 veterans in and around Wapello County. Volunteers distribute food through a drive-through facility and also deliver food to vets who can’t leave their homes. The food bank also hands out vouchers that can be redeemed for nutritious food. “We’re vets helping vets,” Fenton-Roe said.

Community cooperation

Ann McGlynn, the founding director of Tapestry Farms in the Quad Cities, won the World Food Prize Foundation’s 2025 Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Ward. She said there are lots of ways to make a difference. All it takes is a little hope and gumption.

“Let’s fight hunger,” she said. “Be a friend to an immigrant or refugee, grow a garden and give your grown food to people who need it, or help an organization.”