Unique Individuals Assisted (2017-Present)

The DMARC Food Pantry Network has seen a consistent rise in usage since early 2022 as the ending of pandemic era benefits, record inflation, and growing cost of living have forced more and more people to seek out a food pantry for the first time.


Last Year at a glance…

ZCTA overall CY2024

2024 overview

  • Busiest 12 month period on record.
  • 46% of all who were assisted utilized a food pantry just once or twice.
  • 4% utilized the DMARC Food Pantry all 12 months.
  • 29,592 households were assisted

75,519

unique individuals assisted

15% increase from 2023

338,910

Total pantry services (includes repeat visits)

1 IN 4

Des Moines residents utilized the DMARC Food Pantry Network

1 in 3

people assisted were doing so for the first time in 2024.

1,188

people assisted on an average day.

November demographics
Children (0-17 years old)35%
Adults (18-64), working or disabled34%
Adults (18-64), unemployed23%
seniors (65 or older)8%
77% of everyone utilizing a DMARC pantry was unemployed, disabled, a senior citizen, or a child.

Good 3

A Busy Holiday Season

In December 2024, 24,321 unique individuals were assisted by the DMARC Food Pantry Network. This comes on the heels of another holiday month where ~30,000 people got help from DMARC.

26 ZIP codes had 100+ residents utilize the DMARC Food Pantry Network in the month of December.

December 2024

24,321

unique individuals assisted

29,592

Households Assisted

1,361

Average unique individuals per day

1,488

first-time food pantry visitors

29,626

unique individuals – November 2024 (previous month)