Local nonprofit researching cause of food insecurity using new model

DES MOINES, Iowa- A local nonprofit is working to find solutions to Iowa’s growing food insecurity through a new service model.

Project Iowa is a nonprofit that was founded in 2010, with the goal of helping people uncover their purpose and contribute to the community by finding careers.

However, growing food insecurity has plagued many Iowans in recent years. Earlier this month, the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) announced that as food pantries are seeing more people utilize their services, their pantry network is unsure if they can keep up with the increasing need .

In response, Project Iowa is trying to understand why Iowans are facing food insecurity. Since February, the nonprofit has positioned a career coach on sight at two local pantries to collect data and share resources with people, as part of their new service model called Rooted.

Executive Director Julie Fugenschuh said Rooted allows Project Iowa to go to people instead of waiting for them to seek help from her nonprofit themselves.

For four days every week, Rooted Career Coach Lisa Juckette interacts with individuals utilizing services at the Urbandale Food Pantry and DMARC’s southside food pantry. Her goal is to find what workforce issues are leading Iowans to food insecurity.

One way Juckette sparks conversation at food pantries is through an interactive survey. For example, one day she posted the question “What is the biggest expense in your life?” on a board and it started conversations with people about their experiences. She said some answers included housing, transportation, and childcare.

While the nonprofit, doesn’t have data to share just yet, they said they’re working to perfect their service model to share with other groups across the state in order to find causes for food insecurity.

“The needs are many. They’re individual. So, we’re listening to hear the answers, so we’re in that process of really formulizing the model and the evaluation so that we can show that this service model does work and does produce results, so we’re just in those beginning stages,” said Fugenschuh.

Juckette is positioned at the Urbandale Food Pantry all day on Mondays and in the afternoon on Wednesdays. Then, she’s positioned at DMARC’s southside pantry between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and all day on Thursdays.

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