A new pilot project stemming from the Central Iowa Food Security Plan will create three community navigator positions to link Iowans with food banks and other community services.

The pilot program was announced March 27 at an event providing updates on the communitywide food insecurity reduction plan, which was launched in February 2024 by United Way of Central Iowa and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. The plan called for a united, collaborative response that “aims to address food insecurity equitably, respectfully and with dignity.”

The new community navigator positions will be contracted out by United Way. Luke Lynch, senior community engagement officer with United Way, said the pilot project will last two years, with community navigators working approximately 30 hours a week at food pantries and other community organizations.

“We’re hoping to learn together as a community, and then, based on that learning, determine the next steps,” Lynch said.

Navigators will split their time among six organizations, Lynch said. The organizations are:

• Global Neighbors, Polk County’s new refugee welcome center
• Project IOWA, a nonprofit that offers support and training services to people seeking better careers
• DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry
• WeLIFT, an Indianola-based nonprofit; among its services are job readiness skills
• Caring Hands, a thrift store and food pantry in Altoona
• Johnston Partnership, a food bank in Johnston

The pilot aims to respond to two of the food security plan’s goals:

• “Offer a welcoming and dignified experience for neighbors in need of food and services through an accessible and connected network of providers in Central Iowa.”
• “Tell the story of food insecurity in Central Iowa through an intentional, collaborative and equitable data collection process to better inform service design and decision-making.”

One example of how the navigators might help is helping people enroll in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which Lynch said is a “cumbersome” process. Or maybe someone is eligible for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) support but doesn’t know where to access that.

“OK, well then, let’s get you over to a WIC clinic,” he said.

“… It’s hard when you’re bouncing around from place to place in the community,” Lynch said. “Sometimes, it’s like, ‘I’m just going to find my immediate need.’ But if maybe there’s a few more minutes we can say, ‘Well, what else? What else can we help you with?’ We’re hopeful that would be helpful.”

The pilot project is supported by Nationwide, Principal and Prairie Meadows, but an organizer declined to say how much the program will cost.