221 results for author: lelzinga

DMARC Honors the Life of Harold Varce

Rev. Harold A. Varce, former Executive Director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, passed away on June 8 at the age of 96. Varce served as DMARC’s Executive Director from June 1973 to December 1989. Under his leadership, DMARC established its Food Pantry Network (originally known as the Emergency Food Pantry), the Compassion in Action program, Hospice of Central Iowa, the January Thaw interfaith educational series, Life After Death of Spouse (LADOS), and numerous other programs and initiatives. DMARC also transitioned from an ecumenical organization to an interfaith organization during his tenure, welcoming DMARC’s first Jewish congre...

Making DMARC a More Equitable Organization

by Matt Unger, Chief Executive Officer At DMARC, one of the foundational pillars of our Food Pantry Network is equitable access to food. We believe that if you need food, you should be able to get the same kind of food, the same quality, and the same amount, no matter where you live in the metropolitan area. By fundraising throughout the metro and by being able to move food around the area, DMARC is able to ensure that people living in lower-income areas have the same access to good food as do people living in wealthier areas. But the murder of George Floyd last summer and the ensuing calls for racial justice on a systemic level prompted DMARC ...

DMARC Receives $5,000 Grant from Bayer Fund

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) announced today it received a grant for $5,000 from Bayer Fund, which will be used to support the DMARC Food Pantry Network and general operations. “DMARC is grateful to receive this support from Bayer Fund,” said DMARC Director of Development & Outreach Leslie Garman. “This donation will be used efficiently and effectively in the fight against food insecurity right here in Greater Des Moines.” This grant will not only provide support to our organization, but also the community we serve by allowing us to purchase and distribute healthy food to people experiencing hunger and food insecurity ...

DMARC Statement on the Anniversary of George Floyd’s Death

Today marks one year since George Floyd was murdered. In the days and months that followed his tragic death, our nation, state, and local community have seen some of the largest protests and calls for racial justice in decades, demanding action and systemic change. Individuals and organizations across the country are finally reckoning with the racism that has afflicted our country since its founding - racism that has held a pervasive grip on our society even to this day. At DMARC, we have been taking a hard look at our internal and external practices and asking ourselves if we are making our community a more or less equitable place through our ...

Partner Profile: Bidwell Riverside Center

Families Forward - Bidwell Pantry (formerly Bidwell Riverside Center) has been feeding people on the south side of Des Moines for 128 years, and has been at its current location at 1203 Hartford Avenue since 1948. Bidwell was an original founding partner pantry of the DMARC Food Pantry Network when it was established in 1976. “We provide the building, and the community provides everything else,” said Missy Reams, Volunteer and Community Outreach Manager at Bidwell Riverside Center. Bidwell was originally founded by United Methodist Women, and until about ten years ago, the executive director was appointed by the Methodist Conference. ...

Staff Spotlight: Nisha Kishor

Nisha Kishor is the Volunteer & Outreach Manager at DMARC. Nisha grew up in Wichita, Kansas and moved to Kentucky in high school. She attended the University of Kentucky where she earned a BA in Political Science and International Studies. After school she taught English in South Korea for one year. Nisha just moved to Des Moines in August 2020 and is looking forward to meeting new people and getting to know her new home. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities, cooking, and spending time at home with her husband Ashish. What drew you to DMARC originally, and how has it changed since then? I was originally drawn to DMARC because of its ...

Volunteer Spotlight: Ann McGonegle

How long have you been volunteering with DMARC? I believe I started in the fall of 2016. What do you do as a volunteer with DMARC? I’d say I’m a mobile girl. I’ve always been a mobile girl with the guys. And I just kind of like the mobiles, I’ve been at various sites throughout the community and they’re all unique and different. It’s kind of cool that you bring the food to the people. How often do you volunteer? It used to be a couple times a month when I first started, and now I’ve turned into a twice-a-week person. Can you describe your responsibilities as a mobile volunteer? It’s a pretty easy gig. Pretty much, the ...

Meals From The Market Starts Up Again this Saturday

Those interested in volunteering with Meals From The Market can sign up online at dmarcunited.org/volunteer.

Join DMARC for Our Annual Meeting

Thursday, May 20, 6:00-7:00pm via Zoom You're invited! Join DMARC for a virtual annual meeting on Thursday, May 20, 6:00-7:00pm. Learn more about our work over the past year and how we adapted and stayed flexible in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear from DMARC staff, pantry partners, faith communities, and volunteers. Receive an update on our advocacy and interfaith efforts. Help us recognize our outstanding volunteer of the year and outgoing board leadership. Find out more about how you can stay involved in our work. DMARC has moved away from our biannual delegate assemblies in favor of an annual meeting where all partners ...

Commemorating 45 Years of the DMARC Food Pantry Network

We have grown to occupy 9,000 square feet of warehouse space with pallet racking and walk-in coolers and freezers, employ a staff of 17 people, manage a fleet of six vehicles, and assist over 58,000 unique individuals on an annual basis. Whenever our community has faced a crisis, DMARC has stayed flexible and risen to the challenge to provide food in innovative new ways, from the gas crisis of the 1980's, to the flood of 1993, to the Great Recession, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity does not only exist during these crises, however, and we have seen the need for food pantries steadily rise even in times of "plenty." We ...