DMARC Food Pantry Network sees busiest month of all time in August

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 23,886 unique individuals during the month of August, becoming the highest monthly total in the 47-year history of the network. During the month, 23,886 individuals made 27,142 visits for monthly assistance – an 18 percent increase from August 2022. This exceeds the previous all-time record set in November 2019 of 22,632 unique individuals and caps an uneasy trend of growing food insecurity this summer. During this time, DMARC assisted an all-time record of 2,155 new individuals. “When ...

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DMARC Remembers David Wolnerman

DMARC is greatly saddened to hear of the death of David Wolnerman, one of the last known Iowans who survived the Nazi concentration camps during the holocaust. During his years in the Des Moines Metro area, Mr. Wolnerman shared his story far and wide for the sake of educating and empowering Iowans to stand up against antisemitism. He was committed to efforts to build relationships across religious diversity, giving of his time and presence. When the Comparison Project at Drake University published A Spectrum of Faith: Religions of the World in America’s Heartland, he ...

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DMARC Food Pantry Network Breaks March, April records

A year after a massive reduction in public benefits end in Iowa, disturbing trends loom for food insecurity The DMARC Food Pantry Network set a new record for the number of people assisted in the month of March, reaching 19,410 unique individuals seeking out food assistance.  A March record was also set with 1,456 first-time visitors utilizing the DMARC Food Panty Network. These records highlight a disturbing trend that is continuing into this month.  On April 4 , 1,562 unique individuals received food assistance, becoming the second highest single day ever in the ...

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DMARC Sees Substantial Increase in Use at Food Pantries

The DMARC Food Pantry Network saw a 39% increase in use in April 2022 compared to April 2021. DMARC’s network of 14 partner food pantries and mobile food pantry program assisted a total of 14,294 individuals this April. The trend has continued into the month of May, and May 3 was the single busiest day of DMARC's Food Pantry Network so far in 2022. DMARC Food Pantry Network Usage Report - April 2022 The DMARC Food Pantry Network saw a 39% increase in use in April 2022 DMARC attributes much of this increase to the end of additional benefits from the ...

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Support DMARC this Season of Giving

Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? You can support DMARC during the month of December with our Season of Giving Calendar (31 days) or Advent Calendar (24 days). From donating funds and food to learning more about DMARC and the issue of food insecurity to advocating with your community and elected officials, there are a lot of ways to stay engaged with DMARC this holiday season! Both calendars are available below for download. Instructions for each day are on the second page. Don't forget to reach out and share your experience with us once you've ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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Introducing DMARC’s Nutrition Advisory Committee

by Linda Gobberdiel, MA RD LD We are currently in the middle of National Nutrition Month and what a great time to introduce DMARC’s Nutrition Advisory Committee! This relatively new group focuses on nutrition-related projects for DMARC and their food pantries. Back in 2019, DMARC staff saw the need for having nutrition professionals available on a more continuous basis to help meet commitments in DMARC’s relationship with Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). Dietitians’ knowledge and expertise were needed to maximize nutrition in their food pantry ...

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Partner Profile: Johnston Partnership Place

This year, the Johnston Partnership will celebrate their 20th anniversary as a nonprofit organization. But it was only a few months ago that the organization moved into building space that was specifically designed for their needs. The new space, which officially opened on September 29, 2020, is almost exactly twice as large as the previous space, with two doors to the outside rather than one. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors to the food pantry at Johnston Partnership Place place food orders from outside the building. The food pantry is also delivering food pantry ...

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Partner Profile: Catholic Charities Food Pantry

Catholic Charities Food Pantry 1815 Hubbell Avenue Des Moines, IA 50316 (515) 262-7290 Website Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines has been providing food service to the greater Des Moines community for a long time. Prior to the establishment of Catholic Charities Food Pantry (originally named St. Mary Family Center) in 1993, Catholic Charities operated a food pantry out of a closet in their administrative office. From their building at 1815 Hubbell Avenue, Catholic Charities Food Pantry provides food to the community in two different ways: a three-day supply ...

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