Meet Tara
“They were all so kind when I first went to the Bidwell Food Pantry. They welcomed me and there was no judgement.”
Despite the growing level of need, The DMARC network of pantries has risen to the occasion just like it has for decades. We continue to offer a dignified pantry experience, where one can count on access to healthy foods and food pantry staples anytime they seek help.
“They were all so kind when I first went to the Bidwell Food Pantry. They welcomed me and there was no judgement.”
“They are so friendly. They don’t treat you like you are less than, they treat you like they’re glad you are here.”
“They did this so that their children would have a better life… But even making $18 an hour I sometimes need help.”
In the 70-plus year history of the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), our mission has remained largely the same – working together to meet the basic human needs of our neighbors.
May 12, 1952 – The Des Moines Area Council of Churches is chartered by 15 congregations and the YMCA.
March 1, 1953 – Rev. John D. Clinton is hired as the first part-time Executive Secretary for the Council. Office space is rented from the Iowa Council of Churches at 525 6th Avenue in downtown Des Moines.
May 1953 – The Council starts offering its “Tour of Faiths,” a religious education program offering tours of multiple protestant churches, Temple B’nai Jeshurun, St. Ambrose Cathedral, and St. George Greek Orthodox Church.
1969 – The Council welcomes the first residents in 300 apartments designed for low and medium income families. Now known as Oakridge Neighborhood Services, the nonprofit has since served the housing & human service needs of over 20,000 families and 75,000 individuals.
May 9, 1972 – The name of the organization is changed to the “Des Moines Area Religious Council,” in order to be inclusive of faiths outside protestant Christianity.
June 15, 1973 – Rev. Harold Varce becomes the Executive Director of DMARC.
May 1976 – DMARC forms the “Emergency Food Pantry” program. DMARC later moves its operations to the basement of Central Presbyterian Church.
February 1978 – DMARC Co-sponsored with the Information and Referral Services of the United Way of Central Iowa, discussions on forming a hospice organization. This led to the creation of HCI Care Services (formerly Hospice of Central Iowa; now known as Everystep).
1979 – DMARC welcomes its first Jewish member congregation, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, officially becoming an interfaith organization.
1981 – DMARC establishes the Life After Death of Spouse (LADOS) program, a peer support group.
January 2, 1990 – Rev. Forrest Harms takes over as Executive Director of DMARC following the retirement of Rev. Harold Varce at the end of 1989
April 18, 1990 – DMARC establishes the Red Barrel Program to collect donations from shoppers at local grocery stores. This effort was spearheaded by local Kiwanis groups.
July 1993 – Des Moines is hit with record flooding, leaving the entire city without power and clean water. Donations come pouring in from across the country, and DMARC staff and volunteers work tirelessly for three weeks to provide assistance to residents through the Emergency Food Pantry and Compassion in Action program.
February 1, 2008 – Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice takes overs as Executive Director following the retirement of Rev. Forrest Harms.
2012 – The Emergency Food Pantry is renamed as the DMARC Food Pantry Network to more accurately describe its work and role. This same year, Rebecca (Becky) Whitlow takes over as Food Pantry Network Director.
January 20, 2014 – DMARC moves into its new headquarters at 1435 Mulberry Street following a capital campaign to purchase its first facility.
2016 – Thanks to help from the Partnership for a Hunger Free Polk County, DMARC opens a second warehouse on Scott Street, expands food pantry locations and hours, and launches a mobile food pantry program.
2017 – DMARC and The Comparison Project host the inaugural Interfaith Youth Leadership Camp.
Summer 2019 – Matt Unger is hired as Chief Executive Officer of DMARC following the retirement of Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice. Unger becomes the first lay-leader of the organization.
March 2022 – DMARC moves into its new headquarters at 100 Army Post Road following a $5.8 million “Food Today, Change Tomorrow” capital campaign. Later that year, in September, DMARC opens the “DMARC-ket South Side Food Pantry” on-site, becoming the first food pantry directly staffed and operated by DMARC.
Elevating the voices of people experiencing food insecurity and those joining together to meet the need.
The organizations, businesses, and partners who are helping us complete our mission.