News

Protect WIC and Iowa Families: Vote NO on HF 2716

February 27, 2026

Johnson County Food Access Network Issues Joint Statement on Legislation HF 2716

Members of the Johnson County Food Access Network — a coalition of food pantries, meal sites, and food distribution organizations working to prevent hunger in Johnson County, Iowa —urge lawmakers to vote NO on House File 2716.

At its core, this bill would take away food from pregnant mothers, infants, and young children.

HF 2716 would restrict eligibility for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) based on citizenship status, barring undocumented immigrants as well as many lawfully present humanitarian immigrants. This includes our neighbors who are refugees, asylees, and those who are legally in the United States without permanent status.

“What children eat in the first five years affects them for life. Lawmakers have no business putting a child’s life at risk just because their parents weren’t born here,” notes John Boller, Executive Director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry.

No other state in the country has imposed this kind of restriction on WIC: Iowa would stand alone in cutting vulnerable mothers and children off from a vital nutrition program–and it would not even save the state any money. WIC is a federally funded program, and for every $1 invested, $2.48 is saved in medical and long-term productivity costs. The bill would undermine children’s health while increasing future costs.

“This proposed change to WIC would punish hardworking Johnson County families who are already doing everything they can to provide for their children,” says Deb Dunkhase, Executive Director of Open Heartland, a nonprofit organization that provides immigrant families with access to vital resources. “Every parent deserves the dignity of a healthy pregnancy and the chance to raise their child with the support they need.”

The bill goes further. HF 2716 would require families to live in Iowa for 12 months before qualifying for certain public assistance programs and would shorten the time SNAP benefits can sit unused before being removed.

“Families shouldn’t have to prove how long they’ve lived in Iowa just to put food on the table,” notes Ryan Bobst, Executive Director of the North Liberty Community Pantry. “This policy creates durational residency requirements on families that are expressly prohibited by federal regulations. This is an excuse to cut eligible people from essential support – causing more people to seek support from an already overburdened food pantry network.”

“Life doesn’t pause, and neither should access to critical food,” points out Adrianne Korbakes, Chief Operating Officer at CommUnity Crisis Services. “Expunging benefits after three months will hurt families dealing with illness, job loss, or sudden disruption, which will only deepen hardship.”

Food access is not a partisan issue. It is about children’s health, family stability, and the long-term well-being of our community. Restricting nutrition support will not reduce need. It will simply shift greater strain onto local food access organizations and the families we serve.

Together, we urge our representatives to protect children and families by voting NO on HF 2716.

Find your legislators here and join us in urging them to vote NO on HF 2716.

Submitted by the following members of the Johnson County Food Access Network:

CommUnity Crisis Services

Coralville Community Food Pantry

Faith United Church of Christ

Iowa City Free Lunch Program

North Liberty Community Pantry

Open Heartland

Resurrection Assembly of God

Solon Community Food Pantry

St. Andrew Food Market

St. Joseph’s Pantry (Hills)

Table to Table

Best By, Use By, Sell By, Oh My!

T2T Communications/Love Food, Fight Waste, News /

February 25, 2026

If you’ve ever wondered — “What does this sell by date mean on my jug of milk? Can I still use it in my cereal, or is it past the point of no return?” — you are not alone.

The Bottom Line

Manufacturers want grocers to turn their product. Grocers don’t want complaints on food that’s lost some of its “ooomf”. Consumers want guidance on how long their food is good to eat. All of these are reasons for offering food dates, but they do not mean you should throw food away.

According to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (Source):

A “Best if Used By/Before” date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.

A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula
A “Freeze-By” date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

Except for baby formula, these dates are indicators of best flavor and peak quality. So, use your judgment and senses. Unsure about a carton of milk? Give it a smell. For bread, check for mold. Bad produce will often exhibit a musty or acrid odor and give visual cues like sliminess. In any case, a food’s date does not correspond to spoilage, and more often, will precede it.

These guidelines indicate number of days after date on package an unopened item may be okay to eat:

Dairy:
- Eggs: 1 month
- Milk: 7 days
- Yogurt: 7 days
- Shredded cheese: 2 weeks
- Block cheese: 3 months
Grocery:
- Baking mixes: 1 year
- Canned goods: 1-2 years
- Cereal: 6-12 months
- Chips: 2 months
- Juices: 3 weeks
- Sauces: 1 year
Use a fridge magnet like this one to remind yourself how long your food is good for beyond it’s printed date, you can pick one up at the Table to Table office!

More Tips:

Freeze meat, cheese, and produce on or before “Use By” date. It’s good to eat for 4-12 months after.
Make a shopping list before going to the grocery store.
Make sure you store ethylene producing foods away from ethylene sensitive foods to extend freshness and prevent premature spoilage.
- Learn what fruits and veggies are ethylene producers and which are ethylene sensitive.
No need to wash your produce before storing it, but if you do, make sure it is very dry to ensure it doesn’t spoil prematurely due to dampness.
- Find more produce storage tips.

Information Sources:

The above are guidelines only. These tips are brought to you by the Love Food, Fight Waste initiative, a collaboration between Table to Table and the City of Iowa City. To learn more, visit https://table2table.org/lovefood/.

Welcome Maeve Renyen, GreenIowa AmeriCorps!

T2T Communications/News /

February 17, 2026

Join us in welcoming Maeve to Table to Table! Maeve is our new Iowa Community Corps Americorps member, serving as a Food Access Strategic Initiatives specialist for a nine-month term. At Table to Table, she’ll be supporting our work with the Food Access Network, developing relationships with our partners, and building our food recovery capacity.

She has her Bachelor’s in computer science and Master’s in sustainable development. Prior to joining us, she worked for two years at Esri in California, interned with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, served an Green Iowa Americorps term with the Iowa City Climate Action Office, and assisted Iowa City mutual aid groups during the government shutdown and SNAP crisis in the Fall of 2025. It was during this time that Maeve became interested in food access. While working with mutual aid groups, she helped provide hot meals to Iowa City residents, ensuring safe food service and assisting with outreach for meal sites.

Maeve originally hails from the Chicago area and remains loyal to Chicago sports—Da Bulls and Da Bears, if there was any question. Caleb Williams is her GOAT. She loves to play basketball, and you can catch her at an Iowa City punk show, moshing in the pit.

Farewell and Thank You, Melanie!

T2T Communications/News /

February 6, 2026

This month we say a heartfelt thank‑you and farewell to Melanie Totten‑Fetter, who will have completed two years of AmeriCorps service with Nourish Iowa; most recently serving as the Local Food Recovery VISTA with Table to Table. Melanie has brought enthusiasm, organization, and a deep commitment to strengthening local food systems throughout her service term.

At Table to Table, Melanie jumped wholeheartedly into volunteer operations, completing nearly all of her 30–45 day goals with energy and curiosity. She participated in volunteer routes, assisted with program coverage shifts, gathered volunteer feedback, and visited partner and recipient sites to better understand the full scope of our food recovery network. She also created step‑by‑step volunteer manuals, role descriptions, and onboarding checklists that have helped streamline and strengthen volunteer experience.

Her orientation with the North Liberty Pantry was another highlight, where she completed food safety and civil rights training while learning firsthand how partner pantries operate. She continued volunteering there beyond her orientation—something that speaks to her passion for community impact.

In her final weeks, Melanie has been busy wrapping up shared‑drive improvements, finalizing volunteer handbook acknowledgment tools, and assisting staff wherever needed.

We are grateful for Melanie’s dedication, thoughtfulness, and the many behind‑the‑scenes systems she leaves stronger than she found them.

Thank you, Melanie, for your service and for all you’ve contributed to Table to Table and our community. We wish you the very best in your next chapter!

Welcome Sam Fouts, GreenIowa AmeriCorps!

T2T Communications/News /

February 2, 2026

We’re so excited to welcome Sam Fouts, Green Iowa AmeriCorps Food Recovery Program Development Specialist! Sam started back in October and quickly became acquainted with our gleaning initiatives, assisting with large end of season harvests. During his 11 month term at T2T, Sam will work on projects in our supply chain food recovery, food waste education, and local foods programs, as well as assisting with food donor relationship building and culturally relevant food sourcing.

Sam has a degree in Literature and Creative Writing, and has completed two residencies at the Kenyon Writer’s Workshop. In his undergraduate studies, Sam also studied food anthropology and served in a humanities program centered around environmental justice. “While I have adjacent experience in outreach and community work, I’ve never done anything related to food rescue. I’m here, because I want to learn-and because I love to learn.” Sam said of his interest in the position. He is most excited to start working with our food donors, strengthening current relationships, and building new ones.

Sam is originally from Cleveland, Ohio! His favorite food memory involves a German bar called Steinkellers in Oxford, Ohio. “A few days before I graduated I went with some friends for trivia. The place is set in a basement, built like a cellar. To celebrate, we all bought schnitzels and 2 liters of beer, which came in a giant boot-shaped glass we got to keep afterward.” Sam has particularly enjoyed getting to know T2T’s many volunteers, and in his short time here has already befriended many of them! If you haven’t met Sam yet, please help welcome him to the team and stop by to say hi, you can find him in the first office on the lefthand side of the hallway.

Welcome Sam!

Now Hiring: Food Recovery Initiatives Specialist

Table to Table/News /

January 14, 2026

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

Hours – Flexible for the right fit candidate:

March Start Date – 300 hours total / 10 hours a week
June Start Date – 10 weeks 300 hours total / 10 hours a week

Member Type: Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Member

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

The Food Recovery Initiatives Specialist supports Table to Table’s food recovery operations, partner relationships, and collaborative food access initiatives. This role works closely with youth-serving community partners, local growers, volunteers, and transportation partners to strengthen food access, and expand recovery capacity.

The ideal candidate is relationship-driven, organized, and adaptable—someone who enjoys a mix of coordination, hands-on food recovery work, and community engagement. This position plays a key role in connecting food, people, and systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Local Produce Program Implementation

Lead gleaning trips to farms, including:
- Educating volunteers about gleaning, farming, and food access
- Coordinating harvest, processing, and delivery of produce to hunger relief agencies
Track and record harvested and donated produce accurately
Collect, organize, and maintain gleaning and produce stand materials, including tools, gloves, and supplies
Plan and facilitate produce stands to distribute excess produce directly to communities in need
Recruit, train, and support gleaning and produce stand volunteers, tailoring training and materials to site-specific operations

Partner Relationships Development

Work with the program development team to build and maintain a contact list of food transport drivers, dispatchers, cold storage facilities, and transportation companies serving the Eastern Iowa region
Build and sustain a network of farms and local growers interested in volunteer-supported gleaning
Serve as a liaison between growers and local hunger relief agencies by:
- Gauging produce needs
- Coordinating delivery windows and logistics
Facilitate deliveries of harvested food and complete pickups and deliveries as needed

Food Recovery Route Capacity Building Support

Recruit and schedule volunteers as needed to support and launch local food distribution routes
Support expanded and seasonal food recovery routes by contributing to:
- Volunteer-driven food rescue
- semi-truck food recovery
Record volunteer feedback and communicate relevant information to program staff to inform planning and ongoing program management

Youth-Serving Partner Food Support

Support food deliveries to youth serving partners
Participate in partner assessments to understand and document the food needs of youth served by these programs
Engage directly in food deliveries and communicate emerging needs or observations to the program team

Qualifications

Strong interest in food access, local food systems, youth services, or community health
Experience working with volunteers, community partners, or service organizations (paid or volunteer)
Strong organizational and communication skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, changing environments
Comfort with physical activity, including lifting, standing, and working outdoors (must lift up to 40 lbs occasionally).
Valid driver’s license and ability to complete local pickups and deliveries (preferred)

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. https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=TXssjVoIF0aFNjinbRmw2nDoc3kcNNVFtCZuUv4RJlRUMkVCVVpXVzhYVjIySDFGWUdQR1M1TEtDQy4u&route=shorturl

Good Problems, Harder Days: Inside Table to Table’s Work Right Now

T2T Communications/News /

December 23, 2025

On a chilly weekday morning at Table to Table’s warehouse, everyone pauses when three overstuffed donation carts roll through the door. No warning, no email, no scheduled drop-off – just a flood of canned goods and pantry staples collected by a local office that felt compelled to help. Staff glance at one another, laugh, and spring into motion.

It’s what they lovingly call a “good problem,” the kind of daily surprise that defines Iowa City’s food rescue network. And lately, good problems, and harder ones, have been arriving more often.

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courtesy of Coralville Pantry 9-20-23 Harry and Nancy Olthoff (1)

For nearly 30 years, Table to Table has connected surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, farms and distributors to more than 45 food access partners across Johnson County. But as the cost of living rises and federal assistance programs face cuts, that mission has taken on added weight. Need is increasing. Donations fluctuate. And the volunteers who power the entire operation are showing up in record numbers.

One of the team members at the center of the daily shuffle is Operations Manager Elizabeth Wagner, who jokes that her job changes every 10 minutes.

“You learn to adapt to anything here,” Wagner said. “One day you’re coordinating 25 volunteers, the next you’re arranging a trucking donation we only heard about an hour ago.”

Wagner oversees everything from the warehouse floor to the vehicle fleet, from grant support to advocacy work. She also administers FoodForce, the software system built on the Salesforce platform that tracks every pound of food rescued and where it goes, all the volunteer activity, as well as financial donations.

Table to Table now rescues roughly 2.6 million pounds of food each year – nearly 40 million pounds since its founding in 1996. But demand on the receiving end is growing even faster.

“Our food access network serves an average of 11,000 neighbors a month,” Wagner said. “32,000 people annually. That’s about one in five Johnson County residents. A few years ago, it was one in seven. The need is increasing across the board.”

Staff point to rising grocery prices, housing costs and cuts to safety-net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. When Iowa’s SNAP emergency allotments through pandemic funding ended in 2022, the ripple effect was immediate. Then, more recently in November, SNAP beneficiaries experienced a three week delay in receiving grocery funds. Dispatcher and Local Foods Recovery Coordinator Ryan Mohwinkle said one of the most noticeable shifts wasn’t just the increase in need – it was how quickly the community responded.

“One of the most immediate changes I noticed was the community response to the crisis,” Mohwinkle said. “We saw a significant increase in walk-in and monetary donations from community members who wanted to help however they could. I also fielded numerous calls from people asking how they could best help. The Johnson County community really stepped up to try and help meet the need.”

That response shows up not only in donations, but in the growing number of volunteers willing to step in.
Volunteer Program Manager Jared Long coordinates weekly food rescue routes, scheduling different vans to travel to partner locations where staff and volunteers collect surplus food and deliver it to local pantries and nonprofit organizations. As frustration over federal policy changes mounted earlier this year, volunteer interest surged.

“Usually I can put people on a route the next day,” Long said. “This fall, I was booking people three weeks out.”

The increase marks a dramatic shift for an organization that once struggled to staff weekend routes. Now, Long balances training, scheduling and overflow interest – challenges he describes as welcome ones.

“Great problems to have,” he said.

For longtime volunteers, the impact of Table to Table’s work is most visible at the delivery stops.

“For me, the most rewarding part is the delivery to the recipients,” said Marnie Saeugling, who has volunteered with the organization for nearly six years. “You build relationships with the people who are receiving it, so you know what they need and what doesn’t work for their organization. We pack accordingly, and you get to see it being put to good use.”

That relationship-building turns food rescue into something deeply personal.

“You see the amount of food you get from places like Trader Joe’s,” said Greg Clancy, who has volunteered for about a decade. “To know that it would have gone into the landfill if you weren’t doing this – you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile.” Trader Joe’s is unique in the way it prioritizes food donation and is one of Table to Table’s top three food donors.

Volunteers say food insecurity is broader than many people realize.

“You just don’t know the depth or the breadth of food insecurity,” Clancy said. “It’s from all walks of life. It’s growing, and it’s not getting any better. So we’re just trying to do what little we can to relieve an overwhelming situation.”

The work itself requires more than goodwill. Packing routes, organizing trucks and navigating deliveries takes coordination and skill.

“It takes a different set of skills to learn how to do this work,” Saeugling said. “There’s a fair amount of logistics – packing the boxes just right, organizing the truck, learning how to move through the community.”
That structure is part of what keeps volunteers coming back.

“One of the things that’s attractive about this volunteer job is that you have a job to do,” said Marcia Musgrove, who began volunteering shortly before the pandemic. “You know you’re needed. If you don’t do it, that’s a problem. You really feel like you have a purpose.”

Volunteers have also noticed changes in recent months, not only in need, but in how the community has responded.

“What I’ve seen most is the response from the Iowa City community,” Clancy said. “There are more cars just bringing bags of food or things from their gardens. It does seem a lot fuller than usual.”

They credit Table to Table’s leadership and evolving systems – from improved volunteer training to more efficient routing – for keeping up.

“Table to Table has really evolved over time to meet the needs with more efficiency and more dedication,” Musgrove said.

Back at the warehouse, that adaptability plays out every morning. Route sheets are checked. Vans are loaded. Plans shift as donations arrive.

It’s slightly chaotic, deeply collaborative and quietly powerful.

Whether it’s a surprise truckload, a volunteer adapting mid-route or a community member walking in with a few bags of food, the mission stays the same: rescue good food, get it to people who need it and keep the community fed.

Written by Greta Schaub, University of Iowa Journalism student

Now Hiring: Program and Partnerships Manager

Table to Table/News /

December 20, 2025

Position & Ideal Candidate Overview:

Are you looking for a leadership role in programs, partnerships, or community operations where you can turn strategy into real, on-the-ground impact? You could be the next Program & Partnerships Manager at Table to Table. This role is ideal for a relationship-driven, systems-minded leader who thrives at the intersection of people, logistics, and mission. You’ll play a central role in ensuring food moves efficiently, equitably, and safely from donors to food access partners while overseeing frontline food rescue operations, supervising staff and AmeriCorps members, and collaborating closely with internal teams and community partners.

The ideal candidate is organized, adaptable, and confident making decisions in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment. You bring strong communication skills, a collaborative leadership style, and the ability to balance big-picture goals with day-to-day operational realities. As a highly relational and public-facing role, this position calls for a patient, solutions-oriented “people person” who values equity, believes in food justice, and is motivated by the opportunity to build systems that work better for everyone while helping rescue and distribute millions of pounds of food each year.

To apply, please email hr@table2table.org with your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in joining the Table to Table team and the qualifications that make you a strong fit for this role.

Employment Status and Work Hours: (Full-time salary position)
Typical schedule is Monday–Friday, with occasional start times as early as 7:30 a.m. This role requires availability for up to two Saturdays per month and occasional evening hours to support program needs, partner engagement, or special initiatives. This is an in-person position based in both office and warehouse environments.

Salary & Benefits:
Salary Pay Range: $49,000 to $53,000 commensurate with experience

Table to Table offers a competitive benefits package that supports employee well-being, sustainability, and work-life balance, including:

Paid time off and paid holidays
Health, dental, and vision insurance options
Employer-supported retirement plan
Opportunities for professional development and leadership growth
A mission-driven, collaborative workplace culture grounded in equity and community impact

Roles and Responsibilities

Provide leadership for Table to Table’s food rescue and distribution programs, ensuring efficient, equitable, and mission-aligned service delivery
Supervise and support the Distribution Coordinator, Dispatcher, and program-focused AmeriCorps members through training, scheduling, coaching, and performance management
Serve as the primary relationship manager for food donor partners, including onboarding, issue resolution, and ongoing coordination
Maintain strong working relationships with food access partners and support onboarding, communication, and problem-solving
Lead and support specialized food recovery initiatives, including storage partnerships and large-scale recovery efforts
Use program data to monitor performance, identify trends, and support continuous improvement and reporting
Ensure compliance with food safety, quality, and partner requirements

Necessary Skills and Qualifications

3-5 years professional leadership or supervisory experience,
Experience in program coordination, food system, logistics, or community partnership work
Strong relationship-building and communication skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment
Comfort using data to inform decisions and evaluate program performance
Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment
Commitment to equity, food justice, and Table to Table’s mission
Valid driver’s license and ability to maintain a driving record in good standing

Desired Education and Experience

Experience working in nonprofit operations, food systems, logistics, or community-based programs
Food industry sales management experience a plus
Familiarity with volunteer-driven or partner-based service models
Experience with data systems, reporting tools, or CRM platforms preferred

Review the full job description here.

A fond farewell to Chaim Jensen

Table to Table/News, Team News /

December 4, 2025

This month, we share our deep gratitude and warm farewell to Chaim Jensen, who is stepping down from his role as Network and Partnership Manager. Chaim has been a part of T2T in multiple capacities since September 2022. Chaim stepped into a role with big responsibilities and even bigger opportunities, guiding daily route logistics and nurturing the relationships that make food rescue possible. Over the past 3+ years, he’s helped us expand our reach, smooth our operations, and deliver more good food, more efficiently, to neighbors across Johnson County.

If you worked alongside Chaim, you know that some of his most meaningful contributions came in the moments we never could have predicted, where food rescue becomes part puzzle, part sprint, and part sheer force of will.

Fantastic Food Rescues

Chaim Staff glean at Ernie Found's orchard 10-26-23

There was the Summer of Cantaloupe, when a single week brought nearly 50,000 pounds of melons into our community. Chaim helped mobilize our response – handling on-the-ground logistics, coordinating storage, and even transporting melons across the state to ensure that every ripe melon found a home. Only a week later, he helped the team navigate a second 10,000-pound melon rescue from Buser’s Produce with the same steady, practical leadership.

Or the time a new Chipotle opened in Coralville and unexpectedly offered 1,500 pounds of freshly prepared meals during their training sessions. On short notice, Chaim mapped out twice-a-day pickups at completely off-schedule times, supported the cooling and safe storage of hot food, and made sure these highly desirable meals reached our neighbors.

When Kroul Farms called during the hottest week of the year, worried that their sweet corn was ripening too fast to sell, Chaim jumped in again. What began as a simple glean turned into an urgent Big-Truck rescue that we may have missed without his support.

Everyday Leadership

And then there were the quieter wins built on Chaim’s relationship-building superpower.
When one of our biggest grocery partners seemed primed to increase their donations significantly, it was Chaim who coordinated the operational overhaul needed to support that growth. His persistence has also regularly helped bring food donors back to consistent donations after periods of unpredictability. And in 2023, when El Azul market reached out with interest in donating, Chaim fast-tracked their onboarding so culturally specific foods could reach our partners right away. Thoughtful and always ready to roll up his sleeves, Chaim embodies adaptability, one of the most important guiding values of our operation.

Chaim also played a central role in some of our biggest internal improvements: developing and implementing a new inventory process and establishing a route restructure plan for more equitable distribution. Chaim’s support on our inventory and data systems has helped ensure more accurate, timely data, allowing staff to pull real-time insights for partner communication, donor engagement, and strategic planning.

Chaim food rescue by bike - casserole pick up - 8-11-23

Cranksgiving

When the community organizer for Cranksgiving food drive and bike ride had to step down, Chaim stepped up. While fundraising and community events are not a typical part of his job, this event combined his skills and interests, making him a great fit for the role. This year, he spearheaded a record-breaking event. With 160 riders – triple the number of riders last year – the event collected nearly 1700 lbs. of food for CommUnity Food Pantry and raised $4,000 for Table to Table, CommUnity, and the Iowa City Bike Library. The success of this event is a testament to Chaim’s dedication and leadership in transforming Cranksgiving into a larger-scale community fundraiser and food drive. We hope to continue the work Chaim started to keep Iowa City Cranksgiving a success.

And while Cranksgiving shines as a standout moment, it reflects what we’ve seen from Chaim throughout. He showed up fully, wherever the work needed him next. When food needed to move quickly, when donors needed someone who understood their world, or when the system itself needed strengthening, Chaim was there willing to do whatever the moment required.

Thank You

Chaim, thank you for the countless early mornings, the urgent or off-hours calls answered, the daily guidance amidst the unpredictability of food rescue, and the connections you’ve nurtured. In a few short years, you’ve helped build something that will keep feeding and sustaining our community long into the future.

2025 End of Season Gleaning Wrap Up

T2T Communications/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!

Phoenix Farm - SILT

A glean in October 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.

Kroul Farms

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.

UIowa Plant Futures Initiative

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.

The Big Apple Orchard and Kroul Farms

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!