ON Aug 30, 2026 Kelby Wingert of KCCI published ...
Iowa food banks face SNAP hotline funding cut amid rising need
Iowa's six statewide food banks are warning of a funding shortfall for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program hotline, which helps people in crisis sign up for food assistance.
The hotline is often used by individuals who are unsure where their next meal will come from. Currently, Iowa's food banks pay half the cost of operating the hotline, while federal funding covers the other half. Starting Oct. 1, federal funds will drop to cover just a quarter of the cost.
Staff members who answer the hotline say the reduction comes as the need for SNAP assistance has never been higher.
"I had a neighbor call me the other day, and she was using a friend's cell phone, and she was digging through a dumpster to try to find something to eat," said Seth Fox, a SNAP Hotline employee.
"It's either I pay my rent, or I put food in the fridge. And people are just unable to make ends meet," Fox said.
The funding reduction was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last summer. Iowa's food banks will now need to raise an additional $170,000 to keep the hotline running.