Ames schools fight student food insecurity with district pantry 

AMES, Iowa -- The Ames Community School District is fighting student food insecurity with a district pantry.

The HOPE pantry is located at the Ames Center and opened last fall. At the time, the shelves were usually bare. However, just one year later, the pantry is stocked with non-perishable foods and toiletries.

To access the pantry, families need to fill out a form online. These requests are confidential and are only shared with the Family Resource Support Advocates in Ames schools. The FRSAs fill the request for families. There are no income guidelines or proof of income required, but recipients must be Ames residents and have a student enrolled in one of the district's schools.

Families can access the pantry two times per month, excluding any emergencies. They can either pick up a f