River Bend Food Bank tries to raise $145,000 for Iowa match

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - The River Bend Food Bank is trying to raise $145,000 in cash donations so they can receive matching funds from the state of Iowa.

Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds told the Department of Health and Human Services to use state funds to match food bank donations up to $1 million starting Monday, if SNAP benefits weren’t funded.

The River Bend Food Bank would be eligible for a maximum of $145,418 in matching funds for all donations it gets starting Monday, according to a media release.

If SNAP benefits are restored in November, officials said, only the cash donations the food bank already got will be matched.

“We are experiencing a surge in demand at our pantry sites in these challenging times,” River Bend Food Bank President Chris Ford said in the release. “It is essential we tap all available resources for those experiencing hunger and that includes securing the full amount of available matching funds from Iowa.”

Donations through Iowa’s matching program can only be used for buying food officials said. Food banks also have to give food to their hunger-relief partners in November.

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