220 results for author: lelzinga

DMARC Food Pantry Network Breaks Single-Day Record of Individuals Assisted

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network has set an all-time record for the number of individuals assisted in a single day. On Tuesday, November 1, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted 1,530 individuals. The previous record was set on September 3, 2019, when 1,476 individuals were assisted in a single day. “While we were anticipating we would break our single-day record at the start of November, actually seeing it happen is still jarring,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “We fully expect that November 2022 will be the single busiest month in the 46-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network.” The DMARC Food ...

DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry Now Open

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 ...

DMARC Food Pantry Network Breaks August Record

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 20,203 people in August 2022, a new record for the month, and an 86% increase over August 2021. Nearly 2,000 people used a DMARC food pantry for the first time ever, one of the highest numbers of new individuals in a single month for DMARC. In August, nearly 2,000 people used a DMARC food pantry for the first time ever. Emergency Allotments for SNAP ended in Iowa in April and the average monthly SNAP benefits for households dropped by more than $200. “Emergency Allotments for SNAP ended in Iowa in April and the average monthly SNAP benefit for households dropped by ...

DMARC Partners with DoorDash to Expand No-Contact Food Pantry Delivery Service

by Joe Dolack, Operations Manager DMARC's no-contact home delivery program was fast-tracked out of necessity. With the onset of COVID-19, we needed to adjust our model to meet community members where they were — and a large part of the vulnerable population that we assist were being asked to stay home. We had community health partners asking for food assistance for people needing to quarantine. And even prior to the pandemic, many members of the community had transportation barriers that made it difficult to visit food pantry locations. The delivery program was just a dream before the pandemic. However, COVID-19 made the "dream" an absolute ...

Portrait of a Food Pantry Visitor: Data, Demographics, and Disparities

Today, DMARC is releasing a new report, Portrait of a Food Pantry Visitor: Data, Demographics, and Disparities. This report aims to highlight current disparities among food pantry visitors related to race and ethnicity, gender, and age. It is our hope that this report will inform the public and policy makers about these disparities, why they exist, and potential ways we can remedy them in our community, as it is critical to understand the ways in which previous inequitable policies influence, and often negatively impact, people's current realities today. Executive Summary The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network ...

Volunteer Spotlight: Rosemary Thierer

As an effort to better acknowledge all the hard work our dedicated volunteers put in to help us meet our mission, DMARC is spotlighting their hard work! This month, we're recognizing Rosemary Thierer for her outstanding work as one of our most active volunteers. Thank you for all you do for DMARC, Rosie! Why do you volunteer with DMARC? When I give away my time I want it to be with an organization that is well run, lives by their mission and makes a positive impact in the community. I believe DMARC does all of those things so it makes it easy to give them some of my time. How long have you been volunteering with DMARC? About two years. I ...

DMARC Mobile Food Pantry Launches at Orchard Place – PACE

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is launching a new mobile food pantry location at Orchard Place – PACE on Monday, July 18. The DMARC mobile food pantry will be on location at Orchard Place – PACE, 620 8th Street in downtown Des Moines, every first and third Monday of the month from 2:00-3:30pm. “Our home- and community-based programs serve 3,000 children and families per year, many of whom receive Medicaid. Our providers witness the scarcity of food in homes and the parental fears of if or how they’ll feed their family each night,” said Sonni Vierling, Vice President at Orchard Place – PACE Center. With the addition of ...

Statement on the Shooting at Cornerstone Church of Ames

Last night, a gunman killed two young women in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames before taking his own life. We are saddened and outraged to see yet another instance of people being killed at their sacred place of worship. DMARC stands in solidarity with the families and friends of those killed, Cornerstone Church, the student body of Iowa State University, and the Ames community and we mourn the loss of those killed. Yesterday’s tragic act of violence follows a multitude of shootings in recent weeks. On Wednesday, four people were killed by a gunman at a medical facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 21 people, including 19 children, were ...

DMARC Sees Substantial Increase in Use at Food Pantries

The DMARC Food Pantry Network saw a 39% increase in use in April 2022 compared to April 2021. DMARC’s network of 14 partner food pantries and mobile food pantry program assisted a total of 14,294 individuals this April. The trend has continued into the month of May, and May 3 was the single busiest day of DMARC's Food Pantry Network so far in 2022. DMARC Food Pantry Network Usage Report - April 2022 The DMARC Food Pantry Network saw a 39% increase in use in April 2022 DMARC attributes much of this increase to the end of additional benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in April, as well as rising costs ...

‘Spring Greens’ Raises Over $100,000 for DMARC

DMARC’s 4th annual signature event, Spring Greens, held May 12th at the Scottish Rite Consistory, raised over $121,000 in support of its mission to meet basic human needs in the greater Des Moines area. The event celebrated DMARC’s 70th anniversary and was supported through the generosity of corporate and individual supporters and over 200 people who attended, purchased tickets and participated in a live (new) and silent auction. Special thanks to Matt Strawn, DMARC Board member and CEO of the Iowa Lottery who served as the event emcee and Micah Kiel, VP, Community Relations, Social Impact and Sustainability at Wells Fargo, who ...