Submitted by: Laura Hunter, Director of Outreach & Administrative Operations at Iowa City Free Lunch In 1983, a simple idea took root in Iowa City: everyone deserves a meal and a place to belong. What began as a conversation between two therapists and a church study group has grown into Iowa City Free Lunch in Johnson County, a daily community gathering serving more than 40,000 meals each year, powered by 900+ volunteers across 33 teams. But Iowa City Free Lunch was never jus
Submitted by: Dr. Julianne Gassman, Director & McElroy Professor, UNI Office of Community Engagement Each January, the University of Northern Iowa transforms the UNI-Dome into a powerful hub of service as thousands gather for the annual MLK Day Pack the Dome event. The initiative was born from a simple yet urgent need: to support food-insecure children across northeast Iowa. What started as a modest volunteer effort in the UNI Commons has grown into a massive regional service
