Help Stave Off Hunger

Putting the action into Hunger Action Month, AARP is working with Iowa food banks on “30 Ways in 30 Days,” an effort to connect volunteers with projects designed to stave off hunger throughout the state. Volunteers can assemble backpacks for children and older Iowans, sort groceries and donations at food banks, or harvest produce at community gardens.

In addition, they can help older Iowans sign up for the state’s Food Assistance Program. More than two-thirds of Iowans age 60-plus who are eligible for the program have not applied. For Iowans in this age group, the threat of hunger or feeling anxious about the amount of food in the house increased by 8.6 percent from 2011 to 2012.