Linn County Board of Supervisors Allocates $80,000 in Witwer Trust Funds to HACAP

The Linn County Board of Supervisors today approved allocating the entire $80,000 in fiscal year 2026 Witwer Trust Grant Funds to HACAP's food pantry. This allocation will help Linn County residents in need access food during the delay in the USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that began November 1 due to the federal government shutdown.

As a result of this decision, the application cycle for Linn County's FY26 Witwer Trust Grant Program will not be available this year. The Linn County Board of Supervisors anticipates returning to the regular Witwer Trust competitive grant program in November 2026.

Governor Reynolds on October 30, 2025, announced the state of Iowa will match up to $1 million in contributions made by Iowans for regional food banks across the state.

"I am extremely grateful for Governor Reynolds and her generosity in this match program, and I think the best thing we can do is take advantage of that match program by allocating the full $80,000," Linn County Board of Supervisor Chair Brandy Meisheid said. "We have an opportunity to make an impact here locally, and with that match we can make a bigger impact. The ability to do this is one of the really rewarding parts of our job. This allocation is a testament to what the Witwer family lived and breathed every day, which is feeding the people of our community. I'm excited and honored to support this today."

"We've had a lot of very difficult, dark times in our community, but our resiliency has really been the brightest of lights. This urgent need to feed hungry people, hungry neighbors in our county is one of those difficult times," Linn County Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt said. "Once again want to join our neighbors and show our tough resolve on how we can be a resilient community. I support using the Witwer Trust grant dollars to feed hungry people in Linn County through HACAP."

"Right now, too many families in Linn County are facing an immediate crisis - wondering how they'll put food on the table as SNAP benefits are delayed," Linn County Supervisor Sami Scheetz said. "In moments like this, our community always steps up. HACAP and so many local partners are on the front lines making sure our neighbors don't go hungry, and we're proud to stand with them. This $80,000 contribution, paired with the state's matching grant, will go a long way toward multiplying the reach of this effort and ensuring that no one in our community is left behind during this difficult time."

Background on the Witwer Trust Grant Program

Linn County receives $80,000 annually from proceeds of a trust established by Weaver Witwer, a prominent farmer, grocer, and landowner who died in 1979. Mr. Witwer established the Witwer Trust as a way to give back to the community in perpetuity. In past years, the Board of Supervisors has awarded these funds to local nonprofit organizations through a competitive grant process. The funds must be used to benefit Linn County residents.

There is precedence for the Board of Supervisors to forgo the application process. In 2008, following the historic flood, the Linn County Board of Supervisors at that time allocated $75,000 from the Witwer Trust Fund to local flood recovery efforts through the Job and Small Business Recovery Fund and the Flood 2008 Fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. The Board at that time voted to forgo the application cycle that year due to the needs created by the flood.

The Witwer Trust grant funds come from the trust created by Weaver Witwer and therefore are not tax dollars.

Find a Food Pantry in Linn County

Linn County residents in need of food assistance can now find food pantry locations online using a single website. Linn County and its community partners recently collaborated to create a comprehensive food pantry map for Linn County. Residents can select a pin on the map to see information about the selected food pantry including services provided, hours of operation, location address, contact information, and directions (walking, driving, and bus routes) to the pantry location.

View the Linn County food pantry map.