Turning interfaith engagement Into understanding and action
As you walk through the doors to Temple B'nai Jeshurun, immediately you are greeted by a table of literature on local charity resources, a table of food donation collections, and a bright red barrel adorning the classic DMARC Red Barrel stop sign – “Help STOP Hunger in our city”. The Jewish reformed synagogue is celebrating its 150-year anniversary this year and each month is choosing to select a different food item to collect donations of for the Food Pantry Network.
For Rabbi Neal Schuster this idea of helping those in need is simple and constant in ...
DIY: When creativity and philanthropy meet
17 year old Ethan H. Stanley doesn't like to be bored in the summers. After volunteering with his High School Swim team at the DMARC warehouse, he came up with an idea for how he could support a cause he cared about. Thanks to Ethan's direction, On Aug. 15 at Legacy Golf Club golfers will tee off to support DMARC in the inaugural "Putts for the Pantry" golf benefit.
"I grew up playing golf, I compete on Dowling's Golf Team, and I love the game of golf," said Stanley, the event director. "I wanted to use my passion for Golf as a way to help others."
The event ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network Hosting ‘Rivalry Week’ Food Drive Competition
Want bragging rights off the field prior to the big game on September 9th?
The state's largest food pantry network is inviting the community to give back while showing their Iowa or Iowa State pride during the DMARC Competitive Food or Fund Drive.
DMARC is asking workplaces, religious congregations, and other groups to consider hosting a food drive coinciding with the Sept. 9 matchup between the University of Iowa and Iowa State Cyclones.
This past Fiscal Year (July 2022 to June 2023) was DMARC’s busiest 12-months ever assisting 59,844 unique individuals – ...
DMARC Sees Single busiest day of Food Pantry Usage
1 in 5 Des Moines residents received food assistance through DMARC
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 1,731 unique individuals on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 setting a single-day record of people assisted. This surpasses the previous single-day record that had been set two months prior on May 2, 2023 assisting 1,728 unique individuals. June and July were both the 2nd and 3rd busiest months ever respectively in the 48-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network and many continue to struggle with the rising cost of living and inflated ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network sees busiest 12-month period ever
Another record breaking month in June indicates a challenging summer may be ahead
The end of June marks the busiest 12-month period ever for the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network with 59,844 unique individuals making 251,705 visits for monthly assistance. A staggering 1 in 3 individuals had never utilized the DMARC Food Pantry Network before - highlighting the continued strain on people’s budgets.
“The people at the heart of this issue are our neighbors, our family, our friends,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “That’s what makes ...
Faith Leaders, advocates inspire state to change course on food aid for school-age children
Facing public pressure from lawmakers, food insecurity advocates, and faith leaders, Iowa will plan to pursue federal food aid for school age children after initially stating they didn’t intend to apply.
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) distributed a letter signed by over 100 faith leaders from across the state of Iowa encouraging Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, and DHHS Director Kelly Garcia, to submit a proposal to the US. Department of Agriculture for summer P-EBT assistance for school-age children.
DMARC stands alongside the interfaith commun...
Rising to meet the need
The past 12 months at DMARC have been remarkable and this summer looks to be more of the same...
June will mark the fourth time in 2023 when the number of unique individuals being assisted by the DMARC Food Pantry Network reaches an all-time record for that month. It will also mark 14 consecutive months where are seeing a record number of new individuals for that month.
These records are not something we look forward to as more people are struggling to meet their basic needs in our community. Why is this happening? The effects of stagnant wages, pandemic income loss, and ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network Breaks May record on the heels of Governor signing SNAP legislation
Des Moines, IA (May 3, 2023) - The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 20,822 unique individuals in May 2023. This exceeds the previous May record set in 2019 by 2,432 unique individuals – a 13 percent increase. Sadly, this is the third record-breaking month in a row for the DMARC Food Pantry Network and comes on the heals of Governor Kim Reynolds signing S.F. 494 into law Thursday, June 1. The law is estimated to kick over 2,800 Iowans off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by adding additional administrative ...
DMARC Statement on the passage of SF 494
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is disappointed to learn that Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the controversial bill, Senate File 494, into law yesterday. While we were pleased our advocacy ensured some of the most harmful proposals were ultimately not included in the final bill, SF 494 will, without a doubt, harm the health and well-being of thousands of Iowans facing food insecurity. To add insult to injury, the bipartisan federal budget bill that will inevitably be signed today is creating more unnecessary barriers to accessing SNAP across the nation.
The DMARC ...
Driving change through Food Rescue
For Joan Habel the sound of the DMARC truck backing up to the dock is always a highlight of the week. With 31 years of management experience at the Windsor Heights Sam’s Club, Habel finds that by building relationships with organizations like DMARC can make all the difference for community members seeking out help.
“We have a lot of customers and a lot of damages. Rather than throwing the damaged items in to the landfill, we donate them,” Said Habel. “Everyone we’ve met with DMARC is just so pleasant to work with. They make it easy.”
DMARC is one of many ...