DMARC, Food Bank of Iowa commit to work together, share path forward
DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 14, 2023) – The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) and Food Bank of Iowa (FBOI) today announced plans for a new food rescue partnership and coordinated distribution standards to assist Polk County neighbors facing food insecurity.
DMARC CEO Matt Unger and Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book answered questions at a news conference along with Scott Raecker, executive director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University; and food insecurity expert Jordan Vernoy, co-owner of Cedar Falls-based See What I Mean Consulting.
The ...
SSB 1105 is a Step in the Wrong Direction for Iowa
Senate Study Bill 1105 is a bill in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that targets the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Your feedback can ensure Iowans aren’t faced with additional barriers around hunger and food insecurity. A subcommittee meeting for SSB 1105 is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, at 11:00am at Room 315. You can also join the subcommittee meeting online via Zoom.
SSB 1105 contains a number of harmful proposals targeting SNAP and other public assistance programs, including:
Establishing an asset test for SNAP. ...
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 ...
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 ...
DMARC Announces Closure on Thursday and Friday Due to Winter Storm
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is closing its office, warehouse, and DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry on Thursday and Friday of this week due to expected severe winter weather. Many of the food pantries in the DMARC Food Pantry Network have already announced closures for Thursday and Friday, with more announcements expected in the coming hours.
“If you need to visit a food pantry this week, please do so immediately today,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “The DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry and many of the food pantries in our network have announced ...
2022-2023 Holiday Hours for the DMARC Food Pantry Network
DMARC's office, warehouse, and the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry will be closed December 26-30, 2022.
The 2022-2023 holiday hours for the entire DMARC Food Pantry Network can be found below.
DMARC Statement on Shooting at Club Q
DMARC stands with the LGBTQ+ community in mourning the lives taken this weekend through a terrible act of violence at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Five people are dead, and numerous others injured, by an attack on a safe haven for queer people on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Hateful ideology has extinguished the innocent lives of Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Raymond Green Vance, Derrick Rump, and Ashley Green Paugh. This horrific act must be condemned by all.
We mourn this tragedy, which joins a growing list of murders, assaults, and other forms ...
So, What’s Going on with DMARC and Food Bank of Iowa?
We have been getting a lot of questions from our supporters and the public about what's going on with DMARC and Food Bank of Iowa, so we've put together a short FAQ to provide answers to some of the questions we've been receiving.
So, what’s going on with DMARC and Food Bank of Iowa?
Food Bank of Iowa terminated its partnership agreement with DMARC and 10 of our partner food pantries at the start of November. This means we can no longer place orders from their food inventory or access food rescue donations from certain retail stores in the metro area.
Why did this ...
DMARC Food Pantry Network Breaks Single-Day Record of Individuals Assisted
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network has set an all-time record for the number of individuals assisted in a single day. On Tuesday, November 1, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted 1,530 individuals. The previous record was set on September 3, 2019, when 1,476 individuals were assisted in a single day.
“While we were anticipating we would break our single-day record at the start of November, actually seeing it happen is still jarring,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “We fully expect that November 2022 will be the single busiest month in ...
DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry Now Open
DMARC has opened a food pantry on-site at its headquarters, 100 Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA 50315. The new food pantry, named the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry, becomes the 15th partner food pantry in the DMARC Food Pantry Network, and the first brick-and-mortar food pantry that DMARC will staff and operate as an organization.
“We are so excited to announce the opening of the DMARC-ket Southside Food Pantry,” said DMARC CEO Matt Unger. “The new food pantry is right on a main bus line and fills a gap in our service area, with the next closest DMARC partner ...
