The University of Iowa Retiree Association hosted a fundraiser at Tavern Blue called “Music, Meals, and Making a Difference” on Feb. 15. The association partnered with the UI Food Pantry Organization to bring awareness to the growing problem of food insecurity that students and staff face at the university.
The association interacts with and helps the student body academically, financially, and socially. The group strongly values the importance of its continuous help in serving the university.
The fundraiser included live music from the band HomeBrewed, featuring songs by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and more.
HomeBrewed’s goal was to bring joy and liveliness to this fundraiser. People were dancing, singing, and clapping along to songs all night.
Steph Beecher has been the basic needs coordinator in the Division of Student Life since 2022 and helped prepare for the event. It took six months of preparation and volunteers from the UI and Food Pantry to put the event together.
“The main goal of this fundraiser isn’t even to raise money, it’s more about raising awareness around the issue of food insecurity,” Beecher said.
Beecher said the food pantry has a very accessible tool for people who were unable to attend the event or want to know more ways they can show their support through the creation of a QR code people can scan that will take them directly to Amazon.
Once there, they can place orders for food on a provided list, which will then be delivered straight to the Food Pantry itself.
Evalyn Van Allen-Shalash, past president of the UI Retiree Association, was impressed by how many people showed up and by how much money had been donated.
Van Allen-Shalash has been a member of the association for many years and said she wanted to start doing more for the university community.
Van Allen-Shalash said it had been an emotional night, and seeing the donation boxes being constantly full made her heart happy. She wanted to give credit to the many people who spread the word about the fundraiser to help make this event possible.
These groups include the Graduate College, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the UI Center for Human Rights, the International Programs, and more. She also felt extremely grateful to Tavern Blue for letting them host this event for free. In addition, Tavern Blue planned to donate 10 percent of the proceeds it makes to the Iowa City Food Pantry.
Beecher did extensive research on the food insecurity issue at the university and found that between June 2024 and May 2025, food insecurity had reached 61 percent in the graduate population, 21 percent in the undergraduate population, and 18 percent in the faculty and staff population.
These figures made Beecher, Van Allen-Shalash, the UI Retiree Association, and the Iowa City Food Pantry want to act on this growing problem. While the final amount of funds raised has yet to be announced, event organizers exited the evening satisfied.
“This night has exceeded my expectations.” Van Allen-Shalash said.