Many families are part of a growing need for food in the local community and in many other places across the country. 

Executive Director of the Pella Community Food Shelf Melissa Zula says they are serving 500 registered households in the local population on a weekly basis and around 240 others through their mobile food pantry. Zula says that one of the biggest factors in food insecurities is the increasing prices on store shelves. Melissa says that one way that everyone can support the effort to combat food insecurity is to learn more about the issue.

“Please get educated on it. Even if you’re going out and just doing some very simple research on what is food insecurity, and what does it mean to not know where your next meal is coming from. For all of us, we should stop and think about that a minute. If you really had to go, where is my next meal coming from? So, a lot of us can stop and think and say ‘Well, I know I have this in my fridge or I know I have this in my pantry and that can work well enough.’ So what if what you did have available in your funding was only to put together one meal but you’re not going to know where the next one’s coming from.”

Click here to donate to the Pella Food Shelf. Hear more from Melissa Zula today on our Food Drive Fridays Special Edition News Magazine.