Des Moines Area Religious Council
Our Mission
Working together to meet basic human needs for the greater Des Moines community.
Our Services
Learn more about our Food Pantry Network and Interfaith Engagement.
Latest News from DMARC
DMARC Statement on ordinance to further criminalize homelessness in Des Moines
Our community is hurting right now. In the past 12 months, The Des Moines Area Religious Council, or DMARC has assisted over 70,000 people in Greater Des Moines through its network of 14 food pantries. Here in the city of Des Moines, that number includes …Read More »
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 …Read More »
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 …Read More »
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 …Read More »
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 …Read More »
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 …Read More »
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. Please plan ahead as the holiday will affect most pantry locations. For more information about …Read More »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 …Read More »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 …Read More »
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, …Read More »