JOHNSTON, Iowa — 'Tis the season of giving, and a central Iowa mayor has a creative way of giving back to her community.
The Johnston Partnership food pantry said, typically, their service sees an increase in use in November and December. With the rising costs of groceries, they want to make sure they can stay fully stocked this winter.
That's why Johnston Mayor Paula Dierenfeld has put out a challenge to her community for the last ten years, all with a pair of running shoes.
"I love to run. I’ve been a lifelong runner, I’ve been running ever since I was in my early 20s," Dierenfeld said.
For the last nine years, Dierenfeld has run one mile for each bag of food or $10 Johnston residents donate to the local food shelf.
"We want to make sure that during the holiday season, in particular, everyone can enjoy a great meal," she said.
In 2022, donations accumulated to 1,850 miles for the mayor to run.
This year, she wants to hit a new record.
"This is the 10th-annual, this is the big year," Dierenfeld said. "Let's see if we can't get to 2,000.”
Those thousands of miles fill the shelves of the food shelf.
"I think her efforts alone in December have generated over 30,000 pounds of food for our organization, which is huge," said Andrea Cook, executive director of the Johnston Partnership, which operates the city’s food shelf.
Cook said recently the organization's had an influx of visitors.
"The need continues to go up. Anybody who’s been to the grocery store knows how expensive everything is," Cook said.
In this season of giving, making sure everyone has a little holiday joy is Dierenfeld’s mission.
"We do have people in need in our community,” she said. “I think Johnston is viewed as a very affluent community, but the fact of the matter is, not everybody has enjoyed that good fortune in their lives."
That mission is one Dierenfeld said the people of Johnston race to answer.
"It's been absolutely amazing what the community has done to respond to it,” Dierenfeld said.
The mayor’s Food Run goes from Dec. 1 through Dec. 30.
Starting Dec. 31, Dierenfeld will begin running her miles with a goal of finishing near September 2024.
Donations can be made at the Johnston Partnership, located at 5870 Merle Hay Road, Suite C in Johnston, or online.