Flood Victims Eligible to Receive Extra Food from DMARC in July

Victims of the recent floods will be able to access the DMARC Food Pantry Network twice during the month of July. Typically, visitors may only visit once per calendar month to receive a three-day supply of food, though extra items are always available any day the pantry is open.

“We hope this additional supply of food will be a relief to those in our community who are struggling to get their lives back on track following this disaster,” said Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice, executive director of DMARC.

Last week, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry suspended its regular schedule and was on-site at the disaster recovery center at Polk County River Place, assisting with food distribution on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. DMARC distributed single serve items that did not need to be prepared and were easy to consume, such as fruit cups, granola bars, apples, bananas, and juice. In total, over 13,000 food items were distributed to 1,076 individuals.

“Seeing the community’s response to this emergency crisis has been really moving,” said Joe Dolack, DMARC Mobile Food Pantry manager. “Everyone is coming together and asking, ‘how can I help?’”

DMARC would like to thank numerous community partners that collaborated on this response, including Polk County, the Food Bank of Iowa, and Des Moines #2 Hy-Vee (East Euclid), as well as all the volunteers and donors who have assisted with their support.

“Our community has once again shown its giving nature in response to this disaster,” said Rice. “DMARC would like to thank all those who have donated and volunteered to help assist with flood recovery efforts.”

If you would like to support the DMARC Food Pantry Network, you can donate online, or in-person at 1435 Mulberry Street, Des Moines, IA 50309.