On Tuesday, April 2, DMARC and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa (BGCCI) unveiled the Refuel Station, a new mobile food pantry, which is to be used initially at local Boys & Girls Clubs locations.
Joe Dolack, the mobile food pantry program manager for DMARC, Jodie Warth, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa CEO, and Mitch Wasden, Iowa Total Care CEO, all gave remarks at the event. The pantry is to provide Boys & Girls Clubs families with healthy, kid-friendly, grab-and-go food items.
“Thanks everybody who has helped put this together,” Dolack said, “We wanted to make it fun, and for kids. The other DMARC mobile food pantries out there traditionally have been serving seniors. This was, for me, thinking outside the box as to how we can better serve kids coming through.”
Dolack mentioned that it has been quite a whirlwind for DMARC, and thanked Elaine Collet, coordinator of special events & volunteerism for Boy & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa, for helping this project become a success.
Collet got together with Hunger Free Polk County, Suzie Glazer Burt, and Variety the Children’s Charity, to begin collaboration with DMARC. The group has been meeting since last August to bring this program together.
“Things we talked about for food were easy grab-and-go items where there’s not much prep to do for kids,” Collet said.
Collet also brought up the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa’s programs that they want to incorporate into the pantry. Collet also gave praise to DMARC for its flexibility and openness, and our shared goal of helping the community.
“This amazing Refuel Station gets to help feed our club kids every week,” Warth said, “This station will travel around the metro visiting each and everyone of our five club sites.”
Warth also made mention of healthy food, and why she believes it’s important for kids to receive healthy foods.
“I hope that you see us tooling around the neighborhoods,” Warth said, “and you can kind of sit back and say, ‘Okay we are dealing with this hunger issue in our community and we’re dealing with it head on and we’re dealing with it in a unique vibrant exciting way.’”
Warth is looking forward to seeing the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa programming be applied to the Refuel Station.
“We are so excited to partner with Boys & Girls Club and DMARC,” Wasden said, “One of the things that we know is that nutrition is foundational to good health.”
Wasden made note that he would like to remain in partnership with Boy & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa and DMARC, and considers this to be an important initiative.
The Refuel Station is made possible by Hunger Free Polk County, Charlotte and Fred Hubbell, Suzie Glazer Burt, Variety the Children’s Charity and Iowa Total Care.
