Statement by DMARC on the passage of Senate File 494
As expected, yesterday the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 494 along party lines. The fight around the supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is not a new one, but somehow the dialogue around public assistance never changes.
Elected officials claim their job is to ensure tax dollars are being responsibly allocated around public assistance in our state. At a time when Iowa is consolidating and streamlining government, the sticker shock of this bill alone should be enough to walk away from the table. Is 2.8 million dollars and 200 new full time state employees ...
Revised SNAP Bills Still Threaten Food Security in Iowa
Last week, House File 3 and Senate Study Bill 1105 both came before their respective House and Senate Health and Human Services Committees. Both passed out of committee with amendment as expected. The Senate bill passed along a party-line vote, and in the House, two Republicans (Rep. Eddie Andrews and Rep. Brian Lohse) voted against the bill along with all Democrats on the committee.
HF 3 has been renumbered as House File 613, and SSB 1105 has been renumbered as Senate File 494. These newly-amended bills did make some improvements to the original bill language, but ...
Spotlight: DART Central Station Mobile Food Pantry
STORY BY JOE DOLACK, OPERATIONS MANAGER
Transportation has long been a barrier for people looking to access a food pantry. Learning to meet that need sparked an idea and partnership between Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART) and DMARC.
Since 2018, the mobile pantry site at DART Central station has operated every Thursday and has become one of the most utilized mobile sites that DMARC operates. Being downtown or along a dedicated route to larger employers helps us reach folks who may not otherwise find a pantry site.
This location provides food assistance to a ...
Winter weather closure for Feb. 16
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is closing its office, warehouse, and DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry on Thursday, Feb. 16 due to expected severe winter weather.
Residents are encouraged to call their local food pantry directly with questions about closures to have the most up-to-date information. Pantry locations and contact information can be found at dmarcunited.org/food/pantry-locations/.
DMARC, Food Bank of Iowa commit to work together, share path forward
DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 14, 2023) – The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) and Food Bank of Iowa (FBOI) today announced plans for a new food rescue partnership and coordinated distribution standards to assist Polk County neighbors facing food insecurity.
DMARC CEO Matt Unger and Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book answered questions at a news conference along with Scott Raecker, executive director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University; and food insecurity expert Jordan Vernoy, co-owner of Cedar Falls-based See What I Mean Consulting.
The ...
SSB 1105 is a Step in the Wrong Direction for Iowa
Senate Study Bill 1105 is a bill in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that targets the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Your feedback can ensure Iowans aren’t faced with additional barriers around hunger and food insecurity. A subcommittee meeting for SSB 1105 is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, at 11:00am at Room 315. You can also join the subcommittee meeting online via Zoom.
SSB 1105 contains a number of harmful proposals targeting SNAP and other public assistance programs, including:
Establishing an asset test for SNAP. ...
House File 3 Would Increase Food Insecurity in Iowa
Last week, House File 3 was introduced in the Iowa House with 39 co-sponsors.
While we were pleased to see a $1 million appropriation for the Double Up Food Bucks program included in the bill (a top legislative priority for DMARC), there are a number of harmful proposals related to public assistance programs in HF 3. As such, DMARC is registered against the bill and encourages Iowans to speak out against this misguided piece of legislation.
Specifically, House File 3 would:
Limit SNAP purchases to only foods on the WIC-approved food list. This is an incredibly ...
DMARC Breaks Single-Day Record of Food Pantry Use on January 3
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 1,614 unique individuals on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, setting a new single-day record of people assisted. The previous single-day record had been set two months prior on November 1, 2022, when 1,529 people were assisted.
“To be honest, this caught us a bit by surprise,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “And while setting this record was unexpected, it’s just one more reminder that the need in our community is incredibly high right now.”
The DMARC Food Pantry Network has been experiencing ...
Blake Willadsen Joins DMARC Staff, Luke Elzinga Shifts to New Role
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) welcomed Blake Willadsen to its team as Marketing & Communications Manager on January 3, 2023. Luke Elzinga transitioned to a new role as Policy & Advocacy Manager.
“We are very excited to have Blake bring his experience and perspective to our team and for Luke to expand his role around the important advocacy work DMARC engages in around solving root causes of food insecurity,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger.
“DMARC’s mission starts with elevating the voices of the Iowans we assist. I can’t wait to elevate those ...
DMARC Announces Closure on Thursday and Friday Due to Winter Storm
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is closing its office, warehouse, and DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry on Thursday and Friday of this week due to expected severe winter weather. Many of the food pantries in the DMARC Food Pantry Network have already announced closures for Thursday and Friday, with more announcements expected in the coming hours.
“If you need to visit a food pantry this week, please do so immediately today,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “The DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry and many of the food pantries in our network have announced ...