DMARC Sees Rise in New Food Pantry Users in March

This March, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted 18,729 individuals, an increase of 11.8% compared to March 2019.

In the last two weeks of March (March 16-31), DMARC saw over 1,000 people make their first visit ever to the Food Pantry Network, four times the amount of new individuals than the first two weeks of the month. First-time food pantry visitors accounted for 16% of everyone who used the DMARC Food Pantry Network in March.

DMARC also saw a rise in the number of people who visited a Mobile Food Pantry location in the second half of the month. Over 1,000 people visited a Mobile Food Pantry location between March 16-31, with 252 of them using a DMARC food pantry for the first time.

The demographics of people using the Food Pantry Network also shifted. The number of unemployed people assisted and number of Hispanic/Latino individuals assisted by the DMARC Food Pantry Network both rose significantly in March 2020.