The Enhance Hamilton County Foundation (EHCF) announced that they are issuing a Food Pantry Challenge to Hamilton County residents to match $12,000 in donated funds to benefit local food pantries. EHCF recently received a third donation of $10,000 by the same anonymous donor who helped fund the Food Pantry Challenge in 2020 and 2021 and is looking to do another round in 2022. The EHCF Board will provide an additional $2,000 to the anonymous donor funds to make the total match $12,000.

Last year, the Food Pantry Challenge raised over $25,772 to benefit the food pantries throughout Hamilton County.

The Food Pantry Challenge will run May through the end of September this year and the goal is to match the $12,000 put up by the anonymous donor and the EHCF Board. The first $12,000 raised will be matched, dollar-for-dollar,” said Darcy Swon, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation Development Director. Checks will be distributed monthly to the local food pantries beginning in June with the last distribution to be made in October.

“We have been very happy with the support over the years of our local food pantry challenges,” said Swon. “Over the past eight years the challenges have been able to provide over $106,272 in support to our local food pantries with $50,522 of that coming in the last two years.” 

To participate in this Food Pantry Challenge, send your check to: Darcy Swon, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, 501 Bank Street, Suite 1, Webster City, IA 50595. Checks should be made out to the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation with the name of the food pantry to be supported listed in the memo line. If no food pantry is indicated, the donation will be split evenly among the local food pantries. Cash donations are also welcome. Donations will be distributed monthly to support the food pantries.

Donations will be received up through October 1, 2022.

The food pantries that will be supported include: Upper Des Moines Opportunity (Webster City); Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Webster City); St. Paul Lutheran Church Food Pantry (Webster City); Asbury/ACE Food Pantry (Webster City); The Lord’s Cupboard/Bethesda Lutheran Church (Jewell); and the Stratford Food Pantry (Stratford).

For more information on the Food Pantry Challenge or on the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, please feel free to contact Darcy Swon, Development Director, at 515-835-0437, or at dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org.