In May 1976, DMARC embarked on an important new mission: ending hunger and food insecurity in Greater Des Moines. Much has changed in the past 45 years, but unfortunately, the need for food pantries still exists, and the number of people facing food insecurity has only increased.
What started in a church basement has grown to become the largest Food Pantry Network in the state of Iowa. At its inception, the DMARC Food Pantry Network consisted of seven partner food pantries, and over the years has expanded to our current network of 14 partner pantries and over 30 mobile food pantry sites.
We have grown to occupy 9,000 square feet of warehouse space with pallet racking and walk-in coolers and freezers, employ a staff of 17 people, manage a fleet of six vehicles, and assist over 58,000 unique individuals on an annual basis.
Learn About the History of the DMARC Food Pantry Network
The week of May 10-16 marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the DMARC Food Pantry Network, and you can help us commemorate this milestone through your own volunteer efforts! Join us and "paint the town red" with Red Barrel events in our community.
Gather a few friends (service club, youth group or others) and encourage people to donate funds or food items to the Red Barrel at a local grocery store. Create a competition to see which group gathers the most donations for the DMARC Food Pantry Network!
To volunteer or host your own "pop up" event to raise funds and food for the DMARC Food Pantry Network, contact Nisha Kishor, Volunteer and Outreach Manager, at nkishor@dmarcunited.org.
Colby Park, Windsor Heights
Spring Greens is back! Think FRESH. Think UNIQUE. Think TROPICS. You're going to love Spring Greens this year!
This is the third year of our signature event, and we ask for your support! Although the pandemic is not over, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Help us celebrate the 45th anniversary of the DMARC Food Pantry Network as we enjoy a low-key and breath-of-fresh-air event with a Caribbean flair.
Guests and sponsors can participate in-person or virtually as they will have the option to either pick up a Spring Greens basket or take it home. But food never tastes better than when eaten at an Iowa park in the spring with live music!
For 45 years, members of our generous community like you have supported DMARC's efforts to successfully meet the needs of those in our community who face food insecurity.
Celebrate this accomplishment in meeting the need and join DMARC's Apple a Day Giving Club by making a recurring gift at whatever level - be it $4.50 or $45 per month.
Your donation will be used to efficiently and effectively help your neighbors while providing long-lasting stability to our organization.