Prairie Meadows Donates $99,999 to DMARC

Prairie Meadows recently awarded the Des Moines Area Religious Council a Community Betterment grant totaling $99,999. The grant will help fund DMARC Food Pantry Network at a time when 1 in 4 Des Moines residents are utilizing the program for food assistance. Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.

“Addressing the record levels of food insecurity we are seeing will take a concerted effort across religious communities, the business, government, and nonprofit sector. Prairie Meadows understands the importance of this work and is taking big steps to invest in our neighbors by helping us address food insecurity across the metro,” said Matt Unger, DMARC CEO.

This support will have a great impact as the organization wrestles with what will likely become the busiest summer in the nearly 50-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network.  On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted 2,151 unique individuals – setting a single-day record of people assisted for the second time in just 30 days.

“At Prairie Meadows, we believe in the power of giving back to our community. From funding meals for hungry children, to infusing life into our city playscapes, Prairie Meadows strives to make a difference in central Iowa. And we are beyond grateful that we have the means and the opportunities to do so,” said Gary Palmer, President & CEO of Prairie Meadows.

Visit prairiemeadows.com/community and dmarcunited.org/about-us to learn more about these organizations and food insecurity.

Unique individuals assisted by the DMARC Food Pantry Network

About the Des Moines Area Religious Council:

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is an interfaith organization with a mission of working together to meet basic human needs for the greater Des Moines community.

The DMARC Food Pantry Network consists of 14 permanently placed pantry sites, multiple Mobile Food Pantry locations, and a home delivery program. The DMARC Food Pantry Network is committed to providing healthy food options and fresh produce to the people we assist. Once per calendar month, people can select a three-day supply of food from any one of our partner food pantries, and AnyTime Items are available whenever our partner pantries are open.

DMARC could never do the work of feeding so many people without the partnership of many, diverse faith communities. Over 100 faith communities from across the religious spectrum support DMARC with cash support, donations of food, and service. Because we can do so much more together than we can on our own, DMARC has a commitment to helping our faith communities learn about one another and build relationships.

About Prairie Meadows

Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989, with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given $2.2 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, sports wagering, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.