Iowa Hunger-Relief Advocate Wins

Des Moines Food Bank Director Honored

Chicago, IL -- Karen Ford received the Dick Goebel award for public service at a recent conference in Washington, DC. She is the executive director of the Food Bank of Iowa, an affiliate of America's Second Harvest. Ford was recognized for her commitment to public service and her success in advocating for the hungry Iowans she serves.

Senator Harkin is among the many elected official who have called on Ford's expertise and experience. In his role as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, he has asked Ford to represent Iowa and America's Second Harvest at public hearings. Ford was also tapped by Iowa Governor Vilsack to formally represent food banking on the Iowa Food Policy Council.

"My friend Karen Ford is deeply deserving of this public service honor. Karen has been a very capable and successful administrator of the Food Bank of Iowa. By raising the necessary funds and running the organization so effectively, she has ensured its success. She is also a strong advocate for fighting hunger - I have often counted on her advice on hunger and food assistance issues over the years. Few people can offer the consistently valuable advice that she has given me and I am very proud that she is receiving this award," said U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA).

Ford has been the only executive director of the Food Bank of Iowa which she helped found in 1982. The food bank distributes 4,000,000 pounds of food each year to residents of 42 counties in central Iowa. In its first year, the food bank distributed 587,000 pounds of food to Iowans.

Ford is the third food bank executive to receive this award which was created in 2001. The award honors Dick Goebel, a leader in the food banking movement, who retired from the Second Harvest St. Paul Food Bank in Minnesota. The award was created jointly by America's Second Harvest, the Food Research and Action Center and National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Forum. Award recipients are chosen based on their "demonstrated commitment to public service through their actions and initiatives, and actively advocate, through public education and regular contacts with policy makers, for public policies that improve the lives of low-income hungry people".