Over 140 Faith Leaders call for action on Summer EBT
Re: Iowa Interfaith Leaders – feeding hungry children this summer the right thing to do
Governor Kim Reynolds
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Lt. Governor Adam Gregg Office of the Governor
State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Director Kelly Garcia
Iowa Department of Health & Human Services
Hoover State Office Building
1305 E Walnut Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Dear Governor Reynolds, Lt. Governor Gregg, and Director Garcia,
Feeding the poor is a universal value shared by all major faith traditions and all cultures – this is especially true when it comes to feeding children.
These are the words shared in the summer of 2023 when faith leaders from across our state appealed to your offices to enroll in the Summer Pandemic EBT program. These words are still true now as we plead with you once again: please change course on your December 22nd statement that Iowa will not participate in the 2024 Summer EBT Program.
We were grateful and relieved that our state did the right thing in 2023. We saw how the $29 million dollars going directly to the families of over 244,000 Iowa children made a significant positive difference. The EBT cards gave parents an accessible way to provide for their families with dignity. Struggling families were able to purchase healthy groceries in the communities where they lived. These EBT cards provided relief to families with children in a very stressful time.
In the past several months food pantries across Iowa have been overwhelmed by record breaking need. Our faith communities are going above and beyond to help meet that need. But volunteers are exhausted, financial resources are running low, and yes, some pantries are running out of food. Our state is in a food insecurity state of emergency. Right now, we all need to work together and use every available resource to address this crisis.
Please do not reject such a huge opportunity to support our children, our families, and our communities. If Iowa is forced to go without the Summer EBT Program, summer feeding sites and private charities will not be able to make up the difference—and many kids will go without. We can already see the strain in our communities. We need more help to fight hunger, not less.
We, the undersigned Iowa leaders from all across the religious spectrum call on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to immediately contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and work with our federal partners to provide summer nutrition benefits to children in our state through the Summer EBT program.
Feeding children is always the right thing to do. Show us that we can trust our Iowa leaders to do the right thing and make certain no child goes hungry.
| Elder Amgad Beblawi | Presbytery of Des Moines |
| Harkirat CHuMber | Sikh Community |
| Jean Davis | |
| Gale Francione | Liturgical Design Consultant |
| Jacob Guckenberger | Christ Community Church |
| Glenda M Hughes | |
| Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson | |
| Bishop Kevin T Jones | Northeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA |
| David Judisch | Path to Citizenship |
| DiAnn Walls Kipper | Corinthian Baptist Church-Evangelism Ministry |
| Jon Krieg | AFSC Midwest Region |
| Dennis and Sharon Littlejohn | |
| Amy Mellies | |
| Rev. Andrea J. Myers | St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Urbandale |
| Bonnie K. Pruett | First Congregational Church |
| Heidi Swets | NE Iowa Peace and Justice Center |
| Rev. Mara Bailey | United Methodist Church |
| Rev Dan Baldwin | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| The Rev. Susan Bantz | |
| Rabbi Emily Barton | Tifereth Israel Synagogue |
| Rev. Elizabeth A Bell | Adel and Dallas Center UMC |
| Rev. Dr. Mary L Bellon, Ph.D. | Collegiate/Wesley United Methodist Church |
| Rev.Dr. Mary L Bellon, Ph.D. | Collegiate/Wesley United Methodist Church |
| Rev. William Bernau | Saint James Lutheran Church |
| Rabbi Linda Bertenthal | Temple Emanuel and Congregation Beth Israel |
| Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai | United Methodist Church, Iowa Annual Conference |
| Carol Birkland | First Lutheran Church, Decorah |
| Rev. Robyn Bles | Wakonda Christian Church |
| Rev. Candice K. Brown |
Retired Clergy, Highland Park Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Des Moines,IA |
| Pastor Eric Carlson | Faith Lutheran Church, Clive |
| Rev. Kyle Carswell | St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church |
| Rev. Brian Edward Carter | Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Urbandale |
| Rev Owen A Cayton | Ankeny Christian Church |
| Rev. John Chaplin | |
| Tom Chapman | Iowa Catholic Conference |
| Deacon Larry A. Christensen | ELCA |
| Reverend Megan Clausen | Faith Lutheran Church ELCA |
| Rev. Denny Coon | United Methodist Church |
| Pastor Jonathan Cox | Island United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Lewis Cox | Collegiate United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation |
| Debora Crowley | Community of Christ |
| Bishop Amy Current | Southeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA |
| Nicola Damce | St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral |
| Rev. Katie Z. Dawson | Iowa Conference United Methodist Church |
| Kanwarpal S. Dhugga | Sikhs of Iowa Khalsa Heritage, Incorporated (SIKH, INC.) |
| John Doherty | St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral |
| Len & Diane Eberhart | |
| Rev. Dr. Jennifer E. Edinger | |
| Karen Fausch | |
| Julie Feldman | |
| Rev. Dr. Frederick K. Gaddy | St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church Des Moines |
| Rev. Laura Gentry | Our Savior’s Lutheran Church |
| Ratwinder Gill | Sikhs Of Iowa Khalsa Heritage |
| The Rev. Elizabeth Gillman | St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church |
| Rev. Lisa Grace | |
| Rev, Debra Griffin | Downtown Disciples |
| Pastor Kelsey Guckenberger | Christ community church |
| Cindy Hickman | United Methodist |
| Rev. Jodi Hinrichs | Peace Lutheran Church, Adel |
| Pastor Mark J. Holmes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Rev. Jeffrey D. Jacobs | St Paul Lutheran-Lime Springs |
| Rev. Tim Jacobsen | |
| Rev. Mike Janes | |
| Rev. Heecheon H. Jeon | First United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation of Iowa City |
| Rev. Patricia Johnson | St. Thomas Episcopal Church |
| Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen | Wartburg Theological Seminary |
| Cantor Gail Karp, Emerita | One Human Family Quad Cities |
| Rev. Aleese M. Kenitzer | Shepherd of the Cross Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Kirsten Klepfer | Presbyterian Church (USA) |
| The Rev. Peter R. Kowitz | Decorah Lutheran Church |
| Very Reverend Kenneth Kuntz | Diocesan Administrator for the Diocese of Davenport |
| Rev Carmen Lampe Zeitler | Wellspring Community Church |
| Pastor Dave L. Lenth | Upper Iowa Conference of Pastors |
| Rev. Kathleen Lotz | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Rev. Dr. Sharin Mahood
Rev. LeAnn Stubbs |
Episcopal priest, retired
Plymouth Church, Des Moines |
| Karen Martin-Schramm | First Lutheran Church, Decorah |
| Rev. Dr. James B. Martin-Schramm | Luther College |
| Rev. Peter W. Marty | St. Paul Lutheran Church |
| The Reverend Jean McCarthy | St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Des Moines IA |
| Monique McDonald | Iowa Episcopalians |
| Kathi Mitchell Lay Servant | Burr Oak United Methodist Church |
| Barb Callaghan Mitchell | |
| Mary Moermond | Walnut Hills United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Betsey Monnot, Bishop | Retired, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa |
| Rev. McIver Mullins | St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, IA |
| Rev. Karen Nichols Dungan | United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Cathy Nutting | United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Bill O’Connell | St. Paul Presbyterian Church |
| Rev. Del Olivier | First Congregational United Church of Christ |
| Rev Virginia Olson | |
| Rev. Dr. Timothy V. Olson | Holy Trinity Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Sara Olson-Smith | St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport |
| Pastor Paul Ostrem | ELCA |
| Rev. Eric Pasanchin | Ankeny Presbyterian Church |
| Odesa Peake | |
| The Rev. Peter A. Pettit, Ph.D. | St. Paul Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Robert L. Pickerell | Disciples of Christ |
| Lynn Pleggenkuhle | Decorah UU |
| Michelle Plymale | |
| Kristin Propson | Congregational Decorah United Church of Christ |
| Rev. Marion Pruitt- Jefferson | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| The Rev. Dr. Catherine Quehl-Engel | |
| Rev. David Kebschull | St Mark Lutheran Church, Storm Lake |
| Sarai Rice | Retired, Presbyterian Minister |
| Rev Laurie Riley | Hudson and Janesville United Methodist Church |
| Rev. LeAnn Robine | Corning United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Lee Roorda Schott | Valley United Methodist Church, West Des Moines |
| Rev. Matthew W.G. Rossler | Evangelical Lutheran Church of America |
| Jodi Rushing | First United Methodist Church |
| Tracy Sabus | St. Stephen Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Dr. Pamela S. Saturnia | |
| Rev. Holly Scherff | St. John’s Episcopal Church |
| The Rev Mel Schlachter | The Episcopal Church |
| Rev. Mark Schlenker | ELCA |
| Rev. Travis Segar | Holy Trinity Lutheran Church |
| Rev. David Severtson | First Lutheran Church, Decorah |
| Parvinder Singh | Sikhs of Iowa khalsa heritage |
| Clare Smith-Larson | Capitol Hill Christian Church |
| Imam Nermin Spahic | Islamic and Cultural Center “Bosniak” of Des Moines |
| Greg & Julie Stokke | |
| Matt Tapscott | Decorah Community Food Pantry |
| Rev. Daryl J. Thompson | Calmar & Springfield Lutheran Churches |
| Rev Rachel Thorson Mithelman | |
| John Tyson | Des Moines Mennonite Church |
| Rev. April Ulring Larson | ELCA clergy |
| Rev. Trevor Vaughn | Immanuel United Methodist Church |
| Rev. Heather Wachendorf | New Beginnings Christian Church |
| The Reverend Canon Meg Wagner | The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa |
| Rev. Katy Warren | St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport |
| Rev. Beth Wartick | |
| Kit J. Whan | Madison Market |
| Rev. Paris White | |
| Rev. Michael Wilker | First Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Nathan Williams | Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines |
| Edythe Williams | |
| Rev. Kathleen Wohlers | ELCA |
| Lance Wood | Decorah Community Food Pantry |
| Rev. Dr. Jared Wortman | Plymouth Congregational Church |
| Rev. David Wrightsman | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church |
| Rev. Carmen Lampe Zeitler | Wellspring Community Church |
| Steven Zittergruen | Board President, Decorah Community Food Pantry |
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