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Be a food waste superhero in your own home with these tips for reducing personal food waste.

NOW HIRING: AmeriCorps Food Access Strategic Initiatives Specialist

Table to Table / Team News / AmeriCorps, hiring /

November 12, 2025

Host Site: Table to Table Food Distribution Network
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Service Term: (Winter 2025 varies by enrollment date) – August 2026

Hours: Three-quarter time 36 weeks, 1200 hours
Member Type: Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Member

Apply Here

You’ll love it here! Don’t take it from us, hear from T2T AmeriCorps Alumni about their experiences.

ABOUT AMERICORPS IOWA COMMUNITY CORPS

The Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Program partners AmeriCorps members with local organizations addressing public health needs across Iowa. Members serve on special projects that strengthen food security, expand access to social services, and increase volunteer and community engagement. AmeriCorps members build the human infrastructure that sustains community well-being — while gaining professional skills and credentials such as the Community Health Worker Certification.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Are you a connector, collaborator, and problem-solver who’s passionate about food equity? Join Table to Table, Iowa’s original food rescue organization, as a Food Access Strategic Initiatives Specialist. You’ll help strengthen how our community works together to ensure everyone has access to good food.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys relationship-building, communication, and logistics — and wants to make a visible difference in how food moves from abundance to need. You’ll play a key role in supporting the Johnson County Food Access Network, a coalition of food access partners working collaboratively to build a more efficient and equitable local food system.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Objective: Food Access Network Development Support

Coordinate, schedule, and prep materials for convenings of the food access network and their subcommittees
Maintain line of communication with partner agencies between monthly meetings on network-related happenings and updates
Identify and track grant opportunities for the network and offer writing support when needed
Provide administrative support for network’s collective food purchasing pilot

Objective: Partner Relationships Development

Work with the program development team to develop a contact list and initiate relationships with food transport drivers, dispatchers, cold storage facilities, and transport companies serving the Eastern Iowa region.
Builds and maintains a network of farms and local growers that are interested and willing to have volunteers come and glean their produce.
Serve as a liaison between local hunger relief agencies and growers. Work with recipient partners to gauge produce needs and delivery windows
Participate in food recovery routes to analyze donor and recipient partner needs, identify challenges and opportunities and develop subsequent procedures and documentation to educate partners.

Objective: Food Recovery Route Capacity Building Support

Recruit and schedule volunteers as needed and launch local food distribution routes.
Support expanded seasonal routes by learning and contributing to key components of food rescue routes, OS&D (semi truck rejected deliveries: Overages, Shortages, & Damages) food rescue
Record volunteer feedback and pass on pertinent information that impacts planning and management of the food rescue program

QUALIFICATIONS

Passion for food access, equity, and community collaboration.
Excellent communication and organizational skills.
Comfort with both desk and hands-on work (must lift up to 40 lbs occasionally).
Valid driver’s license and good driving record preferred (age 21+ required for insurance).
Willingness to engage with volunteers, partners, and community members.

BENEFITS

Living Allowance (paid biweekly)
Segal Education Award upon completion of service term
Community Health Worker Professional Skills Training & Certification
Professional development opportunities in public health, food systems, and nonprofit operations
Supportive, team-based environment with access to volunteer management, logistics, and food recovery experience.

ABOUT TABLE TO TABLE

Table to Table is a nonprofit food rescue organization bridging the gap between abundance and hunger in Johnson County. Each year, we rescue and redistribute over 2.6 million pounds of food to more than 40 local hunger-relief agencies. AmeriCorps members are fully integrated into our team, receive individualized professional development support, and play a vital role in our mission to ensure that good food feeds people, not landfills.

HOW TO APPLY

Complete the Iowa Community Corps interest Application and indicate your interest in the Table to Table position.

2025 End of Season Gleaning Wrap UP

Anne Langebartels / News / gleaning /

November 26, 2025

We found out in March that our regular seasonal AmeriCorps roles would be unavailable. Since these folks spearheaded the T2T gleaning program, we weren’t quite sure what this harvest season would look like. A small operational staff means we rely heavily on these positions to run our seasonal programs, but once again, our endlessly hardworking and dedicated volunteer network stepped up to help us meet the need, and went above and beyond. 2025 was our biggest gleaning season yet! T2T staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps members went on 101 gleans at local farms, gardens, and orchards to harvest a grand total of 15,321 lbs. of fresh, local produce. Through our gleaning program we’re able to provide our local pantries and food access partners with hyper-local, farm fresh produce that typically goes home with folks within a matter of hours. Read on for some of our favorite gleaning stories of the year!

A glean last week at Phoenix Farm in Morse, IA produced 255 lbs. Of organic apples with the help of Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) staff member, Joe Klingelhutz. SILT is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting land in the Heartland to grow food. Phoenix Farm was donated to SILT by Suzan Erem and Paul Durrenberger who believed the land should be protected for sustainable food farming forever. SILT will continue to steward this land for conservation and food farming for years to come. “We are excited to work with organizations like Table 2 Table to get healthy, local food into the community,” Joe said of the opportunity to glean with T2T.

In early August, T2T staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps harvested 2,500 lbs. of fresh Iowa sweetcorn from Kroul Farms. “We were out there for three or four hours probably, just trying to get as much as we could. We filled up every single box we had which ended up basically filling the entire van.” All 2,500 lbs. were distributed to the local pantries within 24 hours of harvest, providing neighbors with the delicious Iowa sweet corn that we all love so much.

Several members of the University of Iowa chapter of Plant Futures Initiative joined us for a glean at Chadek Community garden to harvest 50 lbs. of kale, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and more! The Plant Futures mission is to equip students to become the next generation of ethical leaders, system thinkers, and effective advocates for a plant-centric future for our planet, people, and animals. “We just started the chapter at Iowa this year, but there are over 100 chapters across the US and Latin America,” Kaitlyn, a T2T fleet and facility volunteer and Plant Futures member said. Kaitlyn organized this opportunity for her and fellow members, gaining valuable experience and insight into food farming and harvesting.

We closed out the 2025 gleaning season on November 5th, with a double glean where T2T staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps members harvested a whopping 2,515 lbs. of produce from Kroul Farms and The Big Apple Orchard. Marking the end of a historic harvest season, it was a great way to celebrate everything accomplished through the teamwork and dedication or our staff and volunteers. 2025 Gleaning Season by the Numbers…

Most gleans in a single day: 4!
Number of farms/gardens harvested from: 25!
Most gleans in one week: 8!
Total lbs.harvested this season: 15,321!

FY25 Financials

Anne Langebartels / Annual Impact Report, Annual Impact Report 2025, News / FY25 Annual Impact Report /

November 12, 2025

July 2024 – June 2025

Expenses: You’ve invested $699,897 to rescue 2.6 million lbs. of food valued at $8,433,511.

Income: Direct donations from community members like you make up well over half of our operating fund.

Income

Contributions & Events: $526,187 (68%)
Local Government Grants: $104,108 (13%)
Private Grants: $73,443 (10%)
United Way: $55,417 (7%)
Other: $17,635 (2%)

Expenses

Programs & Services: $557,758 (80%)
Management: $103,426 (15%)
Fundraising: $38,713 (5%)

Multiplying Impact Through Four Seasons of Food Rescue

Anne Langebartels / Annual Impact Report, Annual Impact Report 2025, News / FY25 Annual Impact Report /

November 10, 2025

T2T volunteer mary palmberg poses with farmer's market vendor.

In FY25, T2T recovered food from the Iowa City Farmer’s Market every Saturday, delivering 8,600 lbs. of hyperlocal, farm fresh produce to Johnson County neighbors. Long-time T2T volunteer Mary Palmberg has been running the Farmer’s Market route since 2020. Mary is not only a food rescue superhero, but an avid T2T spokesperson as well, educating new market vendors about what we do and how they can become a food donor. Since Mary took the lead, we’ve doubled the number of food donors from the farmer’s market!

Will and Dedi with a day's worth of rescued food outside of T2T van.

Will Keen and Dedi Walker deliver food to Ecumenical Towers, a senior assisted living complex, on their food rescue route every week. But they don’t just drop the food at the door and head to the next stop, Will and Dedi cart it all inside and set it out on tables for residents to easily pick up. Building relationships is a crucial part of our food rescue volunteer role. “They really look forward to it when Table to Table comes, so folks are always waiting while we set up the food for them. We get to know what foods they like best and whenever we get some of that on a route we make sure to save it for them.” – Dedi Walker

two volunteers delivering food to north liberty pantry.

The phone rings: a truck driver has a pallet of beef rejected by the customer for having the wrong brand label. Perfectly good food with nowhere to go. Within minutes, T2T is on it. These rescues move fast. Drivers are on a deadline. As staff Gina Hudson says, “It’s always a team effort. It’s unpredictable and even more fast-moving than our day-to-day food rescue routes, and comes together through real-time teamwork.”

In FY25, volunteers gave 11,500 hours to drive routes, glean fields, and move truckloads of food.Together, we turned $699,000 into $8.4 million worth of food.

This content appears in the FY25 Annual Impact Report. View a PDF of the mailed version here.

Two Midwestone employees stand side by side in the field.

With a grant from Volunteer Iowa, support from United Way, and a pilot group from MidWestOne, this year we offered group farm harvest opportunities. Gleaning volunteer and MidWestOne Bank’s President & COO Len Devaisher shared, “What a privilege it is to support the powerful work of Table to Table. Gleaning captures the essence of what makes Table to Table so special: nothing wasted, working together so that all of our neighbors have the opportunity to enjoy fresh, quality food.” We can’t send a group of 10 out on a route in a two-seater van, but you can join us in the field! To volunteer, email gleaning@table2table.org

Shaping Food Access for Challenges Ahead: 2025 Letter from the Director

Anne Langebartels / Annual Impact Report, Annual Impact Report 2025, News / FY25 Annual Impact Report, letters from the director /

November 10, 2025

Every crisis brings a choice. Do we keep going as usual, or do we pause and ask what this moment demands? A crisis is always a failure of systems, and at Table to Table we have long seen that food waste is one of those failures. Good food going to waste is not a problem of scarcity, but of systems breaking down. Food recovery is how we respond.

We see cracks in the system as openings. Openings to recover what would be lost. Openings to do things differently. Openings to innovate, to collaborate, to build something better. What sustains us is not just getting through hard times. It is the courage to put neighbors first and to keep asking: What do families need right now? What do we need to do differently? How can we respond together? This year we saw plenty of cracks and failures in the systems of the food safety net. Looming federal cuts to SNAP, reductions in free USDA food for pantries, and rising grocery costs placed more pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet.

Yet, instead of breaking apart, the Food Access Network came together with more resolve than ever to serve one in five county residents, more than 25,000 neighbors in all. We came together to plan new strategies for the challenges ahead. Working together gives us hope, as one partner shared: “I felt like an equal shareholder, not just the little guy at the table. I left feeling hopeful that together we could really make a difference and move the needle.”

When the Food Access Network identified partners who were serving larger family sizes with specific cultural needs, Table to Table allocated family sized bulk proteins and culturally familiar foods to meet those needs. When one partner reduced hours, others stepped up, and Table to Table quickly rerouted deliveries and directed neighbors to those resources so no family went without a meal.

When we lost AmeriCorps support for gleaning, staff and volunteers filled the gaps, maintaining critical farm relationships and harvesting thousands of pounds of produce. Partnership allows us to stretch every dollar, distributing 2.6 million pounds of food to meet the scale of community need with efficiency and impact far beyond our size. This is what it means to build something better. By choosing collaboration in the face of crisis, we are reshaping food access so every neighbor has the food they need and deserve.

Nicki Ross, Executive Director

60% of our work is funded by individual donors. Every mile driven, every meal delivered, every neighbor served starts with your gift. Donate Today: https://table2table.org/donation/

FY25 Board of Directors

Sue Andrews
Brad Berentson
Betsy Boyd
Jennifer De La Cruz
Todd Gibson
Kaily Hoard
Tom Jepson, Secretary
Molly Johnson, Treasurer
Mary Kelley, Chair
Patty Meier
Cindi Schrock
Rajni Vijh
Leslie Yoder, Vice Chair

FY25 Staff Team

Nicki Ross, Executive Director
Chaim Jensen, Logistics & Relationships Coordinator
Jared Long, Volunteer Coordinator
Elizabeth Wagner, Operations Coordinator
Natalie Leathers, Communications & Development Coordinator
Ryan Mohwinkle, Dispatcher & Local Foods Recovery Coordinator
Gina Hudson, Distribution Coordinator
Celia Eckermann, Bookkeeper & Administrative Assistant

FY25 AmeriCorps Service Members

Emma Duncan 2024 Summer GreenIowa AmeriCorps
Noah Thomas 2024 Summer AmeriCorps
Adam McFee 2024 Summer AmeriCorps
Natalie Tapscott 2024-2025 GreenIowa AmeriCorps
Jada McDonald 2025 Nourish Iowa AmeriCorps VISTA

This content appears in the FY25 Annual Impact Report. View a PDF of the mailed version here.

This Holiday Season, Reduce Your Food Waste and Get Involved!

Anne Langebartels / Love Food, Fight Waste, News /

November 7, 2025

Food waste significantly increases from November to New Year’s. Why? Our Johnson County community celebrates a diversity of holidays during this time of year, and one thing most of them have in common is…food! While feasts and large meal preparations can run the risk of producing food waste, they also present an opportunity to be proactive and creative in our approach to food in an effort to reduce waste. As food wasted has immense social, economic, and climatic impacts, choosing to reduce food waste is a great way to have a positive impact on your local community. Read on to learn about how you can reduce your holiday food waste, and some bonus content on how you can help increase food access for your neighbors who may not have enough to eat when the holidays roll around.

Before Holiday Gatherings

Before you head to the grocery store to purchase food for holiday meal prep…

- - Shop your kitchen. Inventory which food items you already have in the refrigerator and pantry to avoid buying duplicates.
  - Make a shopping list. What meals or dishes do you plan to make? How many guests do you plan to host? Asking these questions helps to identify types and quantities of ingredients you will need. Making a list for holiday meal shopping keeps you on track at the grocery store and lessens the chance of overbuying. Plus, it may reduce stress during a busy shopping season.
    - Looking for list-making resources? Check out the many available grocery list phone apps, such as AnyList, Mealime, or OurGroceries.
  - Eat a snack or meal. It is important to avoid grocery shopping when hungry as you are more susceptible to impulse purchases and overbuying.

Once at the grocery store…

- Think realistically about items on sale, such as “10 for $5”. It may seem like a tempting deal, but will you actually be able to consume ten? If not, you could end up with food waste, which results in money wasted.
- Control quantity. To have better control of quantity when purchasing produce items, opt for unpackaged fresh fruits and vegetables. (Added climate benefit: you reduce packaging, too!)

During Holiday Gatherings

Share leftovers.

- Having guests over for a big meal? Send them home with leftovers packed in to-go containers.
  - Reuse tip: Save up empty and clean plastic containers to pack leftovers (such as cottage cheese tubs, deli meat containers, or take-out containers).

After Holiday Gatherings

Use up leftover ingredients.

- - Four recipe types that help to use up leftover ingredients are soups, sauces, casseroles, and smoothies! These categories allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of ingredients, which is great when we don’t always know what we might have leftover.
  - Find recipes based on your available ingredients at home with Supercook or Big Oven.

Freeze, freeze, freeze!

- Not going to eat it right away? Freeze food to preserve freshness.

Keep an eye on the refrigerator.

- It can be easy for a container of strawberries or carton of milk to get unintentionally pushed to the back of the refrigerator and forgotten about. On a weekly basis, reorganize your refrigerator and move items that need to be eaten soon to the front to ensure they get used up.
Compost the unavoidable food waste items. We will always have turkey bones, eggshells, coffee grounds and other types of food that we do not traditionally eat. Handle these materials in an environmentally-friendly way with composting.
- Compost at the curb: If you live in a single-family home up to a 4-plex residential building, you receive curbside composting for food and yard waste. Learn more: www.icgov.org/curbside
- Compost at the Landfill’s Compost Facility: Service area residents that do not have access to curbside composting can take food waste and other organic materials directly to the Iowa City Landfill’s Compost Facility. Learn more: www.icgov.org/landfill

Everyone deserves to eat, and the holidays can be the hardest time of year for folks who are food insecure. Consider donating good food to those in need this holiday season.

Table to Table accepts all food and personal hygiene items that are accepted by our pantry partners and distributes them equitably across the Johnson County Food Access Network. That means your donation will go to more than just one pantry in the community, extending your impact even farther.
Most needed items and donation drop-off instructions for the three major pantries and Food Pantry at Iowa:

Food Donation FAQ:
- Can I donate something if it’s past the best by/use by/ sell by date printed on it?
  - Yes, items past their ‘best by’ or ‘sell by’ dates are accepted, provided they are not more than one year expired and show no signs of spoilage.
- Can I donate an opened box of granola bars?
  - Yes, if a box of food items is opened but the items are all individually wrapped, labelled, and list the ingredients on them then you can still donate them.
- What non-food items can I donate?
  - Certain non-food items are some of the most requested items at pantries such as diapers, toilet paper, pet food, laundry detergent, and personal hygiene products as these are often the most expensive in stores.
- What sorts of things cannot be accepted at the pantries?
  - Baby food or formula past “best by” date
  - Cans with sharp dents or rust that cannot be easily removed
  - Unlabeled food
  - Homemade food items
  - Meat from home freezer
  - Non-consumable items like clothing, furniture, etc.
    - An exception to this is North Liberty Pantry, they accept clothing donations
- Can I start a food drive at my work/neighborhood/class, etc.?
  - Yes! Email info@table2table.org to coordinate a food drive benefitting Table to Table.

Facing the November SNAP Emergency and Rallying Together

Table to Table / Food Access Network News, News / emergency response /

October 31, 2025

We’ve learned this week that SNAP benefits for November will not be paid out. In Johnson County, that represents approximately $1.7 million in grocery support for ~10,000 people.

Before this emergency, our pantry and meal-site partners were already serving ~11,000 individuals per month, most of whom were not receiving SNAP benefits. That means we expect to see a meaningful influx of new pantry visitors, people who’ve not relied on emergency food relief in the past.

While the governor has announced $1 million in support for food banks across the state, that amount wouldn’t even meet the need in Johnson County alone.
We’re also awaiting federal rulings on the release of SNAP funds, which we hope will shorten the crisis.
Yet, before the government shutdown we were already bracing for an increase in need because the budget bill put additional limits on SNAP eligibility resulting in disenrollment for many SNAP participants starting November 1. No matter what happens, we will be responding to an increase in food needs for our neighbors.

The burden remains on us, local partners, volunteers, and funders to respond.

How You Can Help Right Now: Four Ways to Make Impact

Donate funds: Donate to T2T to support our increased coordination and transportation efforts, or help with collective grocery purchasing for the Food Access Network by donating here. Cash gifts translate into immediate response and additional purchasing power for proteins and shelf-stable essentials. Every dollar helps stretch further when spent in bulk by the network.

Volunteer & logistics: We are mobilizing mass food drives and we’ve offered our van-fleet and drivers to help move food. If you have time this month, join us to help pick up or deliver food to pantries. Email volunteer@table2table.org to sign up.

Host or contribute to a food drive: Consider organizing a food drive. We’re working with the Food Access Network and United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties to coordinate food drives that will benefit 15+ pantries and meal sites across the county. Please email food@unitedwayjwc.org if your business, faith group, or organization wants to host one, United Way will provide:

A current list of most-needed items
Drop-off locations or connections to transport help
Guidance to make sure your drive meets real needs

Share on social media and in your sphere: Raise awareness that this isn’t a distant problem, it’s here in Johnson County now. Encourage your networks to donate, volunteer or simply refer someone in need to a local pantry. Refer people looking for food and looking to help provide food to https://www.unitedwayjwc.org/food-access. When we widen the circle of attention, we widen the circle of support.

More about what Table to Table Is Doing: Data-Driven, Rapid Response

At Table to Table we believe that in a crisis, the same guiding principles that keep us effective day-to-day still hold true: data-driven allocations, strong relationships, and nimble operations. That approach is powering our response now. We’re allocating as many food resources as possible to more than 18 pantries and meal sites across Johnson County.

We’ll check in weekly with partner agencies to monitor the situation on the ground and adjust as needed.
We participated in an emergency meeting of the local Food Access Network—a coalition of emergency hunger relief organizations—to coordinate strategy, messaging, and shared resourcing.
We joined the local Johnson County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) led by United Way of Johnson County + county emergency management, to help coordinate public messaging and mobilize mass food-drives and transportation logistics.
The Food Access Network was awarded $25,000 from the Community Foundation of Johnson County Impact Grant to go toward collective food purchasing. We received this just in time for the Network to make a large wholesale purchase, which maximizes the buying power of every dollar.

Looking Ahead, Stronger Together

In moments like this we are reminded that abundance and hunger coexist—not because of individual failings, but because of system gaps. At Table to Table we see this as an opportunity to reinforce our network, deepen partnerships, and be the backbone resource for the many organizations stepping up.

Thanks for being part of this community. Thank you for standing with your neighbors. We’ll keep reporting back with updates on the response and how you can plug in.

With gratitude and resolve,

The Team at Table to Table

“No Two Days Are the Same,” GIA Member Natalie Tapscott Reflects on Time at T2T

Anne Langebartels / News, Team News / AmeriCorps /

September 4, 2025

We bid farewell to GreenIowa AmeriCorps member Natalie Tapscott back in mid-August after an 11-month service term during which she focused on expanding our local foods and food transportation recovery initiatives, as well as contributing heavily to the Love Food Fight Waste campaign that aims to increase food waste education in the community. To increase exposure of our food transportation recovery program, Natalie met with key players across all levels of the system to gain perspective on the causes behind rejected truckloads and how to best streamline that process. During her term we rescued more than 90,000 lbs. of food through this initiative and formed several key connections to food transportation donor partners. In her work with our local foods recovery program, Natalie played a crucial role in connecting with new home gardens and farms throughout the community to add to our gleaning network. We harvested nearly 7,000 lbs. of fresh, hyper-local produce through this program during Natalie’s term.

In reflecting on her time at T2T, Natalie highlighted how no two days were quite the same, “It feels fitting that on my last day I showed up and immediately started sorting through a rejected truckload of leaking oat milk and jumped on a redistribution route. The most memorable days at Table to Table were always the ones that turned out differently than I expected when I walked in in the morning.” Always motivated and enthusiastic, Natalie became a go-to person in times like these where quick action and flexibility played a crucial role in successfully distributing large amounts of food at the last minute.

Another key takeaway of her time at T2T was a newfound appreciation and understanding for the Johnson County community, “Having moved to Iowa City to be a student, I feel like there were many aspects of the community I was disconnected from. But through serving Johnson County during my time at Table to Table, I can confidently say the connection I built to my community will forever be impactful to me.”

From the perspective of the T2T team, we could not have made it through this year without her. As Executive Director Nicki Ross explains, “From the start, Natalie jumped right into the heart of our food rescue efforts with enthusiasm. In her first month, she coordinated gleaning efforts, supporting food transport recovery, and hosted free produce stands. Her leadership in the Love Food, Fight Waste campaign and the gleaning program has been particularly impactful in a year where staffing and time were short, but opportunities were great. This year looked so much different than it could have without her exceptional support.”

Natalie came to us with a degree in Political Science from the University of Iowa, and is returning to the university upon completing her term to pursue a Master’s in Elementary Education. “From tabling at outreach events, to creating educational activities for students, to speaking on the KCJJ Noon show, to developing food waste education bus ads, the skills I developed at T2T will help me immensely in my future personal and professional goals,” Natalie said of her growth and education during her time at T2T, “I hope to continue to be an advocate for community engagement and environmental stewardship through sustainable food production and mindful consumption habits. The hands-on experience I got working on outreach initiatives in the community, building the Love Food Fight Waste campaign, and local food recovery initiatives this past Summer have prepared me to do just that.”

We’re lucky that Natalie plans to stay engaged with T2T while finishing her education at the university by volunteering on a few gleans this Fall and subbing in on a route every now and then! Her parting words to the T2T community when reflecting on her term were, “To everyone I met while serving at T2T, from staff, to volunteers, to partners, I will certainly miss the work you do and the people you are.” We’ll miss Natalie just as much, and could not be more thankful for her time with us!

Christina Sullivan Welcome Announcement

Anne Langebartels / News, Team News / staff /

September 2, 2025

We are thrilled to welcome Christina Sullivan as our new Donor Relations Officer at Table to Table! With her strong background in community engagement, storytelling, and relationship-building, she brings both heart and skill to our small but mighty development team.

Born and raised right here in Iowa City, Christina earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts with a minor in Spanish from the University of Iowa. For the past four years, she managed the beloved downtown boutique Textiles, where she was known for her personalized customer service and compelling marketing emails. It’s

through her role there that she’s built meaningful connections across our community—including many familiar faces in the nonprofit and donor world. Her ability to connect, communicate, and cultivate relationships will be essential for her new role.

When asked why she was drawn to Table to Table, she shared a quote from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is- living not for oneself, but for one’s community.” A message that resonates with a lot of us contributing to the mission of Table to Table. As Christina says, “One thing we all have in common is that we all need to eat. I strongly believe we all deserve to eat well. Table to Table helps to repair very fundamental tears in not only our community, but our world- decreasing waste, rerouting resources to those that need it most, and treating everyone with dignity. No one should go hungry when there is abundance, and I’m proud to work for an organization that is such a cornerstone to our Iowa City support network.” A longtime fan of our work, she’s thrilled to now be part of it and is especially excited to meet volunteers and donors at upcoming events. Some of you have already met her when she shared a Friday food rescue route with her dad, Tim Sullivan— clearly, she’s eager to get involved hands-on.

A fun fact about Christina? She is a Shakespearean actor by night! She’s been part of many outdoor productions at Riverside Theatre and is currently touring Romeo and Juliet to high schools as part of a program to make the arts more accessible. If you recognize her from the stage—say hi! Oh, and if you’re in need of a dance partner, she’s also certified in 13 ballroom styles (yes, really).

And we’re always interested in favorite food memories of staff and volunteers. For Christina, it’s homemade strawberry pie from her mom’s garden. When it comes time to eat the first strawberry pie of the season, Christina, her mom and her sister all share a first bite at the same time.

Please join us in giving her a heartfelt welcome as she begins this new chapter with Table to Table. We’re lucky to have her on the team!

Table to Table volunteer unloading cantaloupes at Community Food Bank.

T2T Receives Donation of 10,000 Cantaloupes!

Anne Langebartels / Food On the Move Newsletter, News / food rescued /

July 18, 2025

A truckload of 10,000 cantaloupe made its way to T2T on the morning of July 18th through our food transportation industry rescue initiative!

This estimated 30,000 lbs. of melons is headed to T2T through a partnership with Farmlink, an organization that connects farm products to communities facing food insecurity and who was also responsible for last year’s epic 40,000 lb. potato recovery. The logistics of moving this quantity of food was be made possible through partnership Lineage Logistics, Farr Transport, and the tireless work of the T2T volunteer network and staff members.

Today, cantaloupes were distributed by the pallet to North Liberty Food Pantry, Coralville Community Food Pantry, CommUnity Food Bank in Iowa City, Open Heartland, and North Liberty Summer Lunch & Fun. On Monday, we’ll distribute to many more neighborhood pantries in our area and share several pallets with Riverbend Regional Food Bank to deliver to folks across Eastern Iowa.

Table to Table food recovery efforts provide the majority of fresh produce in the Johnson County food access network. We’ve worked for the last three years to grow food transportation recovery relationships. This food rescue opportunity comes at a time when food insecurity is on the rise and the recent federal budget reconciliation bill makes deep cuts to the food safety net. As we continue to respond to impacts of these cuts, donations like this will be more important than ever.

Stay tuned for details on a cantaloupe distribution pop-up stand early next week! Like our work? Make a donation or sign up to volunteer!

Statement In Response to Food Access Cuts in Budget Reconciliation

Anne Langebartels / Food Access Network News, News / press release /

July 18, 2025

Five Johnson County food access organizations are issuing the following statement in response to the recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” budget reconciliation bill.

Over the past weeks, we have watched with dismay as our state and federal elected officials turned their backs on Eastern Iowans experiencing hunger. It began with Governor Reynolds’ chaotic rollout of Healthy Kids Iowa–an inadequate replacement for Summer EBT–and culminated in Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks, voting for the largest cut to SNAP in history. These cuts literally take food out of the mouths of vulnerable Johnson County residents.

This bill includes harmful provisions that will deepen hunger and health inequities across Iowa. A $40 million annual SNAP cost-shift to the state nearly guarantees benefit reductions and jeopardizes vital Health and Human Services programs. SNAP-Ed–which supports nutrition education, school gardens, and chronic disease prevention–is set to be defunded. Is this really how we “Make America Healthy Again?”

New work reporting requirements could cause thousands of Johnson County residents to lose SNAP. This is not a result of refusing to work, but instead, getting lost in bureaucratic hurdles and cumbersome red tape. Combined with substantial cuts to Medicaid, this bill pushes more of our vulnerable neighbors into crisis while shifting the burden to already overstretched local nonprofits.

These cuts will hit Johnson County hard. Local food pantries are already witnessing historic demand. In FY25, our three largest pantries in Johnson County distributed nearly 4 million pounds of food, up 15% from the prior year. Further SNAP and Medicaid rollbacks will overwhelm our network’s limited resources. Families will have to choose between food and medical care, and our local economy will suffer, as every $1 in SNAP generates $1.54 in economic activity.

Our elected officials have repeatedly failed to show up. Rep. Miller-Meeks declined multiple invitations to visit Johnson County food pantries, passing up an opportunity to hear directly from local leaders about the rising need and the strain on our community. Sen. Grassley’s staff showed concern, but his votes tell a different story. Their actions, or inaction, prioritize politics over the well-being of our struggling neighbors.

These abhorrent policy decisions have virtually eliminated the public safety net, undoing decades of progress. These cuts don’t erase the need–they shift the burden onto overwhelmed and under-resourced nonprofits. Our government has turned its back on children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working parents just trying to survive. Food pantries are expected to become the new safety net. We cannot do this alone.

We stand with our neighbors, but we need your help. Please consider volunteering with or donating to your local food pantry to help our community navigate these new, pressing challenges.

Signed,

CommUnity Crisis Services

North Liberty Community Pantry

Coralville Community Food Pantry

Table to Table

Open Heartland