Volunteer’s pandemic start grows into lasting impact at Food Bank of Iowa

5/6/2026

Did you know that volunteers with the Food Bank of Iowa invest more than 50,000 hours annually? That’s the equivalent of 24 full-time employees. Longtime food bank volunteer and ambassador Steve Siembieda knows that, along with plenty of other facts about the state’s largest food bank.

Siembieda has a background in the biotechnology industry and has lived in the area since 1998. Like many others, he was looking for something to do during the pandemic.

“My wife basically said, ‘Go find something to do.’ And I think she actually signed me up for the first shift at the Food Bank of Iowa. I went with one of my friends, and it was just fun,” Siembieda said.

That gentle nudge led to an extended relationship with the food bank for several reasons.

“It was a physical activity and it was a social activity. We were packing mobile boxes, which contain canned foods and pasta to pass out to people in need. What brought me back time and time again was not just those physical and social activities, but the people at the food bank — just really outstanding people,” he said.

Siembieda found that the food bank’s mission aligns closely with his own values. Providing food for those in need is something he is passionate about.

“Food should not be something that only some people have. We have an obligation — those of us who have money and resources and a life that provides for us — to make sure that others have food,” he said.

You can usually find Siembieda on the Wednesday night shift at the food bank, repacking apples, onions, carrots and other fruits and vegetables. That work helps not only the local area, but the state as a whole.

“What the food bank does is get bulk items and put them into smaller packages for local pantries. There are 700 that the food bank serves across 55 counties. Those pantries can then order whatever the food bank has in stock,” he said.

Another statistic Siembieda shares: 96 cents of every dollar at the Food Bank of Iowa goes toward buying food. He also attends community events as an ambassador.

“Last week, I was at Urbandale High School because there was a jazz event that five schools put on. Each year, they ask students and parents to sponsor one nonprofit, and the food bank was chosen. They raised more than $1,200 in one day and brought in 180 pounds of canned goods,” he said.

The food bank receives plenty of volunteers, food and monetary donations, but there is still work to do to reduce food insecurity in Iowa.

“In a state where we make plenty of food, there shouldn’t be anybody hungry. Yet 385,000 Iowans consider themselves food insecure. Roughly 12% of our population is food insecure, which is just nuts when we’re the breadbasket of the United States. How can 12% of our population not have enough food? Right here in the metro area, 60,000 people deal with hunger on a daily basis,” he said.

Those statistics are sobering but important. Siembieda is doing his part, and adding some fun along the way. He convinced his co-workers to dress up in costumes for a Halloween shift, where he and his family donate $1 for every bag packed that night.

“We have done that activity for the last four years. Last year, I think we donated $7,000, and my work at the time also matched that donation. So we raised $14,000 for the food bank in one evening,” he said.

The group also rewards the best costume. Last year’s winner was Lydia Youngquist, who dressed up as Siembieda.

Siembieda plans to retire this summer. With about 600 volunteer hours under his belt, he was asked whether he plans to increase his time at the food bank or spend more time traveling. He said he will likely expand where he volunteers, naming the Blank Park Zoo and Habitat for Humanity.

Whatever direction he chooses, Siembieda encourages others to get involved.

“People have to pay more for gas, food and living expenses — everything is going up. More people who are on that razor’s edge may be falling into needing assistance. The food bank and local pantries are here to help those people, and I’m glad to be part of that,” he said. ♦