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 ...
“Project Fresh” to provide free fresh produce in July
During the month of July, the Aetna Foundation is partnering with DMARC on “Project Fresh” to provide free fresh produce to people in the greater Des Moines community facing food insecurity.
“We are excited to partner with the Aetna Foundation on ‘Project Fresh,’” said DMARC Food Pantry Network Director Rebecca Whitlow. “People love being able to get fruits and vegetables that they otherwise might not be able to afford.”
This is the third year the Aetna Foundation has partnered with DMARC to distribute free fresh produce. In 2016 and 2017, DMARC and ...
DMARC Awarded Prairie Meadows Community Betterment Grant
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network recently received a Prairie Meadows Community Betterment Grant of $10,000. The grant will allow DMARC to provide more than 17,200 healthy and nutritious meals, or the equivalent of a three-day supply of food for 1,800 hungry Iowans.
“At a time when the state of Iowa ranks 50th in the nation for consumption of fresh produce, it is imperative that we provide healthy, nutritious food for those who need it most,” said DMARC executive director Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice. “We thank Prairie Meadows for ...
DMARC Awarded $30,000 from Ignite Community Innovation Challenge
DMARC is proud to announce it has been awarded $30,000 for winning the Ignite Community Innovation Challenge! The announcement came directly following a Shark Tank-style pitch to community investors. DMARC was one of three finalists for the Challenge.
DMARC's concept, Food Pantry 2.0, will contribute to the advancement of hunger relief services by reframing the food pantry experience from a client's perspective. Clients within DMARC's Food Pantry Network will be awarded more freedom to choose the foods that are most appropriate for their needs. In addition, Food ...
Meredith Foundation Awards $2,500 for Healthy Food
The DMARC Food Pantry Network is proud to announce it has received a $2,500 grant from the Meredith Foundation to provide more healthy food options throughout our Food Pantry Network.
Funding from the Meredith Foundation will be used to procure fresh and healthy food supplies for DMARC's Food Pantry Network. One hundred percent of the grant will be dedicated to direct food assistance for low-income individuals throughout Greater Des Moines. At this level of funding, DMARC will be able to provide approximately 4,300 healthy food items to 450 pantry clients. Purchased ...
Wells Fargo Awards $15,000 for Healthy Food
DMARC is proud to announce it has been selected as a $15,000 grant recipient from Wells Fargo. This funding will be used to purchase more fresh and healthy food to distribute throughout DMARC's Food Pantry Network. We will be able to provide over 25,000 healthy food items with this grant, including fresh produce, frozen meats, dairy products, and low-sodium, low-sugar and low-fat food items.
The DMARC Food Pantry Network began distributing fresh produce in 2009. That year, we distributed 5,193 lbs. of fresh produce. Six years later, in 2015, we distributed 488,244 lbs. ...
DMARC Receives $10,000 Grant from Principal Financial Group Foundation
The Des Moines Area Religious Council has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Principal Financial Group Foundation for its supportive services programs.
“The Principal is dedicated to making Iowa a thriving community as a great place to live, work and play,” said Mary O’Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, the Principal Financial Group®. “We are very proud to help support an organization like DMARC that gives so much to our local community as well as Central Iowa. This donation helps shape the lives of those within our community that need ...
Healthy Communities Grant helps DMARC Food Pantry Network partner with Eat Greater Des Moines
Eat Greater Des Moines, one of 17 regional work groups throughout Iowa, now has a local food system director and coordinator. The new positions are currently housed under the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC). Eat Greater Des Moines is funded by the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), the United Way of Central Iowa, and Hormel Foods through a Healthy Communities grant.
Aubrey Martinez, MPA, is new director for the Eat Greater Des Moines Food System Council and Linda Gobberdiel, RD, LD, is coordinator. Both of these positions grew out of the need to have ...
Prairie Meadows Awards $25,000 Community Betterment Grant to DMARC Food Pantry Network
The Des Moines Area Religious Council has been awarded a $25,000 Community Betterment Grant by Prairie Meadows in support of its Food Pantry Network. The food pantry program ensures access to affordable, nutritious food, while relieving food insecurity and hunger for the most vulnerable individuals in Greater Des Moines, including children and youth, single-parent families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.
DMARC development director, Kristine Frakes, said, “Spring and summer are seasons of high need for food assistance. We are very grateful for this ...