Recent News

Mar 30 2021

Front of future Galesburg Branch building

New regional food bank branch to be established in Galesburg, Illinois

By River Bend Uncategorized

GALESBURG, Ill. (March 30, 2021)– Galesburg Community Foundation and River Bend Food Bank have established a formal partnership to bring a Regional Food Bank branch to Galesburg. The River Bend Food Bank, Galesburg Branch, will provide greater access to more nutritious and perishable foods for more than 50 food pantries serving not only the Community Foundation’s service area of Knox and Warren Counties, but also Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, McDonough and Stark Counties. In addition to the River Bend Food Bank, Galesburg Branch, FISH of Galesburg will re-locate to the space, allowing for all-around greater guest access and allow FISH to increase their pantry offerings. Guests of FISH Food Pantry will continue to have their needs met from FISH’s current…

Dec 14 2020

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Volunteer holding box of food at mobile food pantry

River Bend Food Bank Gets by with a Lot of Help from Friends – Especially in 2020

By River Bend In the News, Mission in Action, Uncategorized

The River Bend Food Bank’s community partnerships have never been as important as they have been this year. In the face of turmoil, friends in all forms stepped up, and River Bend Food Bank is sincerely thankful. We’ve had families host special fundraisers, employees from companies across the region volunteer, and thousands more gave for the first time, or the 10th time, in support of River Bend Food Bank’s mission. The community was an integral link in the chain that helped nearly 160,000 people in need in 2020. Due to the pandemic and economic downturn, the Food Bank’s capacity is being tested, as we experience spikes in food costs, supply chain disruptions, and limitations for volunteer support, all while the…

Oct 29 2020

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Legislative Candidate Responses to Sales Tax Exemption

By River Bend Advocacy, Uncategorized

River Bend Food Bank, along with other food banks in Iowa, remains liable for sales tax under current Iowa legislation. Each year, the Food Bank pays $25,000 in sales tax, funding that could instead provide 125,000 meals to people in need. River Bend Food Bank has advocated for years for a sales tax exemption to be adopted for food banks in Iowa. Earlier in 2020, the measure passed in the House but not in the Senate. Because of the heavy need for food banks across the state during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, Governor Kim Reynolds is officially on record now supporting a sales tax exemption for Iowa’s food banks. Ahead of the 2020 election, River Bend Food Bank polled…

Mar 12 2020

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Sales Tax Exemption

By River Bend Advocacy, Uncategorized

When River Bend Food Bank relocated from Moline to Davenport in 2014, we lost our sales tax exemption. Instead of each $1 providing 5 meals for people who are hungry, we now pay $25,000 of your contributions each year to the State of Iowa, taxes on the boxes, fuel, office supplies, and other things needed to support charitable food distribution. Those funds could instead provide 125,000 meals. One food bank was already made exempt, but the 4 of us who are not pay $186,000 in sales taxes, which could instead provide 1 million meals for hungry Iowans. That amount is a drop in the bucket of the Iowa General Fund, and it should be a priority for state legislators to…

Dec 24 2019

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Happy Holidays!

By River Bend Uncategorized

All of us at River Bend Food Bank wish you and your family a joyful holiday season and a prosperous new year! We are so grateful to all of our donors, supporters, and volunteers. Without you, we never could have achieved so much this year. TOGETHER, we’ve fed thousands of children, seniors, and families in need across our community. Through your kindness and generosity, we will continue to to be there to feed hungry neighbors in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. From all of us at River Bend Food Bank, we wish you a happy and healthy 2020.