Ray Society Course on Interfaith Relationships
Join Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott, DMARC Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement, and many friends from the across the spectrum of faith at the upcoming Ray Society Class "Building Bridges: Interfaith Relationships." The four sessions will take place Mondays April 30, May 7, 14, and 21 from 10-11:30. For more information or to register click here: http://www.drake.edu/raysociety/
Diversity is not good. Diversity is not bad. Diversity just is—and it’s a fact of our changing world. Rather, the good or the bad is a result of our response to that diversity. This course ...
Stamp Out Hunger
May 12-19
On Saturday, May 12, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will be holding their 26th annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive, and DMARC needs your help to sort tens of thousands of donated food items!
How You Can Help
We are organizing hundreds of volunteers to help us date-check, seal-check, and sort these food items from Monday, May 14 through Friday, May 18, and additional volunteers to help with clean-up on Saturday, May 19. Shifts are only two hours long - perfect for individuals and groups!
For more information, please contact DMARC's ...
6th Annual Douglas M. Woods Challenge Hunger Campaign
This article originally appeared in the Feb/Mar/Apr 2018 issue of The Voice.
DMARC is excited to announce that loyal contributor Doug Woods has doubled his annual “Challenge Hunger” match from $10,000 to $20,000!
For retired West Des Moines police officer Doug Woods, the convergence of “The Grapes of Wrath,” a primitive southern Iowa home, and a Bible verse led to his self-described “spiritual awakening”—and, soon after, the launch of the first Douglas M. Woods Hunger Challenge to benefit the DMARC Food Pantry Network.
Doug was a picky eater as a ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network Serves Record Number of People in November
This November, the DMARC Food Pantry Network served more individuals and households in Greater Des Moines than any other month in its 41-year history.
"We were expecting this November to be our highest month of usage," said DMARC executive director Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice, "but we were not expecting to serve almost 3,000 more people than we did last November."
In November, the DMARC Food Pantry Network served 21,079 individuals (8,518 households), an increase of 14% from November 2016. This is also the first month ever that the DMARC Food Pantry Network served over ...
Food Pantry Network Holiday Hours
The DMARC office and warehouse will close at noon on Friday, December 22 and will be closed on Monday, December 25 and Monday, January 1 for the holidays.
The DMARC Mobile Food Pantry will be closed on Monday, December 25 and Monday, January 1 for the holidays. On Friday, December 22, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry will close at noon. The Canterbury Heights mobile site will be pushed to the next Friday, December 29, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Holiday hours across the DMARC Food Pantry Network are available below. Download a PDF.
Impact Community Action Partnership ...
DMARC Statement on Acts of Religious Hatred
The Des Moines Area Religious Council stands with the Islamic Center of Des Moines and all Muslims who call our city and state home. We condemn any and all acts of religious hatred and intolerance, and we call on our member congregations to join us in doing so. Freedom of worship is one of our essential rights as Americans. Religious persecution has no place in the community of Greater Des Moines or the state of Iowa. Additionally, we call on our community leaders to set positive, inclusive examples for our citizens by speaking against these types of hate-filled acts.
DMARC Statement on Religious Discrimination
For decades, Iowa has been a beacon of hope for people from around the world seeking refuge from war and religious persecution. Any form of discrimination on the basis of religion is not only a violation of the Constitution, it is also a denial of our values as Iowans. As an interfaith organization, the Des Moines Area Religious Council stands with our brothers and sisters of all faith traditions against religious discrimination and intolerance, and calls on our community to unite in love against any attempt to limit the rights of religious communities who call Greater Des ...
Operation Rice Bowl Benefits DMARC
The DMARC Food Pantry Network was recently awarded a $550 grant from the Diocese of Des Moines and Catholic Relief Services' Operation Rice Bowl Program.
Operation Rice Bowl provides an opportunity for individuals and families to make a positive difference in the lives of people around the world who struggle with hunger and poverty. It provides Catholics with an opportunity to live out the central themes of Lent by praying with their families and faith communities, fasting in solidarity with those who don't have enough food, learning about the joys and challenges in ...
Food Pantry Usage Report: December 2016
In December 2016, the DMARC Food Pantry Network served 6,509 families and 16,556 individuals.
There were 6,509 families served in December 2016, which was 1,030 more families served than in December 2015, an increase of 18.8%.
There were 16,556 individuals served in December 2016, which was 2,554 more individuals served than December 2015, an increase of 18.2%.
