Amy Tagliareni is a former member of the Ankeny school board and the Democratic candidate for House District 42.

Ankeny is a community known for its growing neighborhoods, strong schools and families who work hard to build a good life. But there is another reality that deserves our attention: some of our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table.

According to the Des Moines Area Religious Council, its food pantry network assisted 3,705 Ankeny residents in fiscal year 2024. Nearly 45 percent of those receiving assistance were new to the network.

Those numbers challenge the assumption that food insecurity is a problem confined to other communities.