3 results for month: 01/2023
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 narrow and prescriptive list that only includes 23 categories of food items. ...
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 heightened demand over the past nine months. A drop in SNAP benefits in April ...
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 voices and impact real change in our community,” said Willadsen. “I can’t ...