Iowa Stops Hunger Podcast: Global Neighbors pantry welcomes ‘neighbors from all over’

by Michael Morain

The local nonprofit Knock and Drop Iowa was created to help feed local Latino families who were struggling during the pandemic. Volunteers knocked on their doors and dropped off food, especially fresh produce and traditional Latino staples that were unavailable in most food pantries. 

Six years later, the organization has grown. In February it opened the Global Neighbors Multicultural Welcome Pantry with support from Polk County’s Global Neighbors program. It’s open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays at 3010 Sixth Ave.

“The first week, we were shocked, to be honest with you,” Knock and Drop Iowa founder and CEO Zuli Garcia said. “We had 400 households come through. We’re seeing neighbors from all over the place.”

Garcia shared a few updates with Business Record staff writer Lisa Rossi for the Iowa Stops Hunger Podcast on the BPC Streaming Network. Here are three takeaways from their conversation.

All kinds of food for all kinds of people

The pantry is stocked with all kinds of international staples, including halal meat, jasmine rice and the corn flour used to make tortillas, pupusas and tamales. Many foods are familiar to immigrants and refugees from Asia, Africa and Central and South America. It’s “a welcoming space,” Garcia said. “Just because you’re in need does not mean, ‘Here, this is what you should eat because you’re hungry.’ We look at it as, ‘How can we treat others with respect?’ And it starts with food.”

Fruitful partnerships

The pantry receives donations from the Food Bank of Iowa and the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) and follows their guidelines, so individual patrons can visit once a month to receive full portions. However, patrons can also stop by daily to receive any extra food that may have been rescued from other sources, including Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Capital City Fruit. During the growing season, the pantry also workswith local farmers to stock fresh fruits and vegetables, especially Asian and African greens that are hard to find elsewhere. Garcia said her team is focusing on “getting more fresh produce out there to help as many families and children be healthier.”

More than meals

The United Way funds a community health navigator to work at the pantry to help people with challenges besides putting food on the table. She helps connect people to additional local resources to buy diapers, pay utility bills, fill out applications and whatever other challenges life throws their way. “If you’re in the food pantry line, we know that’s just one problem you’re having,” Garcia said. 

The navigator also collects data for United Way, to help spot trends and find more systemic solutions. Garcia put it this way: “What else can we do to get you out of this food insecurity line?”