Carma Mohler Grant Spotlight | Iowa United Methodist Foundation
Lamoni Food Pantry
March 27, 2024
As part of the Carma Mohler Grant program, IUMF staff members enjoy visiting grant recipients to learn about and witness the good works our program is helping to accomplish. This past month we were invited to visit the Lamoni Food Pantry (in Lamoni, Iowa), a multi-year recipient of a Carma Mohler Grant. We discovered, through meeting with Director Gwen Simpson and reading recommendations from several community members, that this food pantry makes a remarkable difference in the lives of area families.
Most recently, the Lamoni Food Pantry received a Carma Mohler Grant for their “Egg Project,” an effort to provide clients (around 80 families monthly) with two dozen eggs each month (three dozen for families of four or more). Eggs provide an excellent source of protein at a reasonable cost, but since they are fragile and must be refrigerated, many food pantries do not offer them. IUMF’s Grants Committee was especially moved by this organization’s commitment to providing nutritional foods to its clients, many of whom are children. Gwen told us they will use over 2,300 dozen eggs in the year after receiving the grant. This means nearly 100% of the families being offered eggs have accepted them.
What struck Foundation staff members most during our visit to Lamoni was how much more than a food pantry this organization has become. For example, they offer the “Step Up Program,” an opportunity for one-time financial assistance for local, low-income families or individuals. This assistance can go toward education or licensing for a job, a car repair, a housing deposit, etc. that allows candidates to achieve a more equal financial footing. It is clear that when Gwen or anyone at the pantry learns of a need within the community, they do everything they can to address it. This includes offering a school supply program, Christmas meal delivery and an Emergency Relief Fund for necessities like rent
and gas. We toured a small meeting room at the back of the pantry where volunteers meet with candidates for their relief programs, as well as other clients who come to them with a variety of financial concerns. Gwen gave us examples of conversations she has had, including teaching a parent how to plan a monthly budget, and showing someone the benefits of applying for food stamps.
Gwen introduced us to her longtime assistant in the Food Pantry Program, Connie Kirkpatrick, who showed us a basket of colorful “prayer shawls,” which are made and donated by local women from the United Methodist Church and the Community of Christ Church. Each person prays for the recipient of the shawl as they knit it. Volunteers at the pantry then offer them to anyone going through a tough time. As another example, when we asked about the shelf dedicated to cake supplies, Gwen told us how local groups like Girl Scouts put together birthday cake kits that the pantry then distributes to clients during their birthday month (complete with candles donated by Connie). Needless to say, these volunteers add a personal touch to every client they interact with.

Food Pantry Director Gwen Simpson (right) and assistant Connie Kirkpatrick (left) at the Lamoni Food Pantry.
IUMF is proud to partner with organizations like the Lamoni Food Pantry through the Carma Mohler Grant program. You can support the Lamoni Food Pantry directly by visiting their website, and you can support the Carma Mohler Grant fund by visiting our website and clicking GIVE. Applications for Carma Mohler Grants are accepted July 1 – October 1 annually.