221 results for author: lelzinga

Life Happens

Life happens. You've probably heard that phrase a thousand times. But for many who are assisted by DMARC's Food Pantry Network, it can mean so much more. Meet "Maria" and "Lisa." Maria is Lisa's aunt. She's also a disabled veteran who is Lisa's sole guardian. Both Lisa and Maria have lived in Des Moines for most of their lives. Lisa is now a young teenager. Unfortunately, both of her parents have passed away. She has also lost vision in one eye, with the other eye losing sight as well. Today, Maria serves as Lisa's primary caregiver. Until a year ago she also served as the primary caregiver of both of her elderly parents. Since Maria's ...

Thank You for Your Support of Stamp Out Hunger® 2019

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) held their 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive across the nation, and for the fourth year, the DMARC Food Pantry Network was the local beneficiary of the food drive in Greater Des Moines. That Saturday, letter carriers around the metro collected food donations from mailboxes, doorsteps, and grocery stores which were brought back to their local post offices, and then transported to the East Grandstands’ Hall of Law and Flame at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. All together, 66,055 pounds of food were collected during Stamp Out Hunger® 2019, along with cash ...

Announcing the Retirement of Sarai Rice

After 11 years of serving as Executive Director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, I want to let you know that I will be retiring this summer. An open search for the next Executive Director of DMARC will begin immediately, with a new Executive Director selected by our Board of Directors by the end of June. I am proud to say that, with your support, DMARC has made great progress the past 11 years in providing healthy food and fresh produce to people living with food insecurity in our community. When I began in 2008, the Board of Directors had already initiated the process of redesigning its own structure. In the midst of that work, the ...

Statement on Shooting at Chabad of Poway Synagogue

DMARC stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in California, Greater Des Moines, and across the world in mourning the attack on the Chabad of Poway Synagogue. Yet again, deadly violence has been perpetrated against a Jewish community and place of worship on Shabbat. We call on our supporters, member congregations, and community leaders to take a firm stance against antisemitism, white nationalism, xenophobia, other hateful philosophies, and the people who spread them. This terrible act was committed on the last day of the festival of Passover—a time of remembrance for the triumph of freedom over oppression and cruelty. May all in our ...

DMARC Statement on Sri Lanka Attacks

We are profoundly disturbed and saddened by the attacks in Sri Lanka today that targeted multiple Christian Churches on the day of their Easter celebrations. We stand in solidarity with the Christian community of Sri Lanka and around the world in grieving the lives lost. Once again, we are devastated by the violation of worship spaces and sacred days to commit acts of violence against religious communities. We call on our supporters and community to speak out against religious hatred in all forms. It is our shared responsibility to create a community in which all people are safe to freely practice their faith. We encourage all reading this message ...

DUWIB Hosts Period Product Drive for DMARC

Last fall, Drake University Women In Business (DUWIB) was looking for a service project that would give back to women in Greater Des Moines. After a bit of research, the student organization came across the idea of hosting a tampon and pad drive, and decided it was a perfect fit. Recognizing that one in four menstruating people do not have access to period products due to a lack of income, the group coordinated with DMARC and held a drive for period products at the student center on campus. "Something as natural as a period should not be holding people back from their everyday lives," said Kaitlin Palko, Community Outreach Chair for DUWIB. "Since ...

DMARC Names New Board Members and Leadership

Denise Bubeck Denise Bubeck had the privilege of growing up in a minister’s home where she developed her passion for connecting with people. She received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Early Childhood from Crown College. She spent several years teaching as she and her husband raised their two sons. Denise has and continues to volunteer in a variety of capacities including political endeavors, the local food pantry, a refugee organization, an advisory board member for Iowans Supporting Israel, and her church. As a recent cancer survivor Denise now partners with cancer patients on their journey through a local non-profit ...

DMARC Receives National Recognition for Food Pantry 2.0

DMARC recently received recognition from two national groups for its innovative work to provide incentives for healthy choices at food pantries through our Food Pantry 2.0 project. DMARC was recently announced as one of five finalists for the fourth annual Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) Partner of the Year Award. The Partner of the Year recipient will be announced at PHA's 2019 Summit: Accelerating a Healthier Future, April 1-2, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. According to PHA, "each of the partners selected has exemplified positive change through their committed efforts to ensure the health of our nation's youth by making healthier ...

Statement on Christchurch Shootings

The Des Moines Area Religious Council stands in solidarity with the Muslim community in New Zealand, Greater Des Moines, and across the world today. We are heartbroken and sickened by the horrific attack on the Muslim community of Christchurch, New Zealand. Yet again, a violent anti-Muslim extremist has taken innocent lives in a place of worship. We call on our supporters and member congregations to speak out against anti-Muslim, antisemitic, and anti-religious hatred in all forms. Under no circumstances must hateful language be tolerated or given a pass. We call on our elected leaders to take seriously the growing threat of extremism, white ...

Mobile Food Pantry Launching New Sites Next Week

Next week, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry will visit four new mobile pantry partner locations throughout Greater Des Moines. Times and locations for new DMARC Mobile Food Pantry sites are as follows: Beginning Monday, February 11, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry will visit Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310, every second and fourth Monday of the month from 12-2pm. Beginning Monday, February 11, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry will visit Chapel Ridge West Apartments, 210 S 41st Street, West Des Moines, IA 50265, every second and fourth Monday of the month from 4-6pm. Beginning Tuesday, February 12, the DMARC Mobile Food ...