DMARC has opened a food pantry on-site at its headquarters, 100 Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA 50315. The new food pantry, named the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry, becomes the 15th partner food pantry in the DMARC Food Pantry Network, and the first brick-and-mortar food pantry that DMARC will staff and operate as an organization.
“We are so excited to announce the opening of the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “The new food pantry is right on a main bus line and fills a gap in our service area, with the next closest DMARC partner food pantry located over 3 miles away. And with a WIC office, St. Vincent de Paul, IMPACT Community Action Partnership, IowaWORKS, and several medical clinics nearby, we hope to create a ‘care corridor’ on the south side where people can access multiple services within a short distance of each other.”
A grand opening and ribbon cutting for the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry will be held on Thursday, September 29, from 8:30-10:00am. Brief remarks and the ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 8:45am, followed by tours of the pantry and the rest of DMARC’s facility. Light refreshments will be provided.
The DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry is open 9:00am-4:00pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 11:00am-6:00pm on Tuesday and Thursday. The food pantry is also open from 9:00am-1:00pm on the first Saturday of the month.
“The need for food pantries in our community has never been greater,” said Unger. “At DMARC, we’re focused on innovative ways to step up and meet that need, whether it’s through our mobile food pantry program, home delivery service, or the opening of the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry.”
The food pantry opens amidst one of the busiest times in the 46-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network. In August, the DMARC Food Pantry Network set a new monthly record, assisting over 20,000 individuals, including nearly 2,000 first-time food pantry visitors.
