6 things you might not know about SNAP
This August marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Food Stamps Act, which created the program we know today as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
Changes to SNAP can have a downstream effect on food pantries and we wanted to share 6 things you might now know about our best tool for fighting hunger.
1. The official name of the program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: While many people still refer to the program as ‘food stamps’, In 2008 the name of the program was officially changed to try and reduce some of the stigma ...
Statement on Iowa’s Decision on Summer EBT in 2025
Today the state of Iowa submitted a waiver to the USDA intending to create a new summer feeding demonstration project in Iowa for Summer 2025. The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) has continued to advocate for additional solutions to address summer hunger as we see record need in our community and across the state.
This program would be another tool to help address the needs of the tens of thousands of children and remove barriers for those struggling to meet their needs. We are excited to see the state of Iowa is seeking solutions to summer hunger, a problem ...
Host an Iowa Vs. Iowa State “Competitive Drive”
Let's Tackle hunger together - the big game is Sept. 7
Things can get tense in the office around football season... turn that competitive energy into a rallying cry to give back. Host a food (and fund) drive around the Iowa and Iowa State Game (Sept. 7).
A record 70k individuals got help from our network of food pantries in the last 12 months... that is more than the capacity of Kinnick Stadium at the University of Iowa. When you tally up all their visits, we supported nearly 325,000 full pantry services in the year. That is nearly as many people attended a ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network sees busiest month of all time
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 28,047 unique individuals during the month of July, becoming the highest monthly total in the nearly 50-year history of the network.
This exceeds the previous all-time record set in November 2023 of 26,469 unique individuals and blows away the previous busiest July by 28%. As the trend continues, this record only caps an uneasy trend of growing food insecurity that stretches back more than two years. From June 2023-July 2024 , 1 in 4 Des Moines Residents utilized a DMARC Food Pantry and this ...
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, ...
Pantry Closures: Independence Day
DMARC would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day Celebration. The DMARC-Ket Southside Food Pantry will be closed Thursday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.
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Please plan ahead as the holiday will affect most pantry locations. For more information about food and other general assistance, call 2-1-1.Â
Location
Closed
Catholic Charities
Thursday,July 4
Caring Hands Eastview
Thursday,July 4
Clive Community Services
Thursday,July 4
Friday, July 5
DMARC-ket Southside Food PantryÂ...
What you need to know about summer meal sites
Summer is officially here! For some, the end of the school year introduces challenges around a new routine - especially when it comes to summer meals. As the rates of food insecurity grow in our community, so do the number of school-age children affected.
This week, summer meal sites will began to open in the Des Moines metro and across the nation, providing a regular and reliable place for a free lunch (and sometimes breakfast) for school age children.
What is a Summer Meal Site?
Summer meal sites (also known as SUN Meals), offer kids of all ages meals and ...
Schools out: Summer begins with busiest day on record
Just a couple of days after the close of the 2024 school year, The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 2,080 unique individuals on Tuesday, Jun. 4, 2024 - setting a single-day record of people assisted.
This marks the first time in the nearly 50-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network that the number of unique individuals assisted in one day ever exceeded 2000 being driven in part by an increase in the number of minors being assisted. In June so far, 36.7 percent of everyone receiving food assistance has been a minor (0-17 years ...
Did Lawmakers Forget About Food Insecurity This Session?
By Luke Elzinga | DMARC Policy and Advocacy Manager
The Iowa legislative session has drawn to a close. Unfortunately, we saw little action to address hunger and food insecurity from our state government, despite several bipartisan legislative proposals. This is especially concerning when food banks, food pantries, and other anti-hunger organizations are facing record-breaking need across the state.
Thankfully, with the help of our partners and advocates like you, we stopped harmful legislation, including efforts to create additional administrative hurdles to ...
Doug Woods Memorial Hunger Challenge
Every single person has the opportunity to make a positive difference in their community.
Doug Woods was one such person who found delight in giving and made a lasting difference in his community. This March (March 1 – 31), take the challenge for the 12th annual Douglas M. Woods Hunger Challenge. Your gift will be matched! The Douglas M. Woods Memorial Hunger Challenge is sponsored by the family of Mr. Woods and an anonymous donor.  DMARC is grateful for their continued support.
DMARC will forever be inspired by and grateful for his spirit of generosity. ...
