KEY FINDINGS

• More than One in three households assisted used the DMARC Food Pantry Network for the first time ever.

  From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, almost 1 in 3 individuals utilizing the DMARC Food Pantry Network was a first-time food pantry visitor. While the number of people receiving food assistance continues to reach record levels, many of the demographic disparities observed previously remain consistent or are more pronounced with the increased need. The average household size for new individuals increased by 9 percent and is driven by an increase in new individuals that identify as Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Black/African Americans, Other/Unknown - Hispanic, Other/Unknown - Non-Hispanic, White - Hispanic, and White - Non-Hispanic pantry visitors. WHY? The biggest contributing factor for the increase in new individuals was the record level of inflation experienced across almost every industry in 2022. For many first time visitors, a reduction in benefits coupled with the rise of prices at the grocery store, gas station, rent, and other cost of living expenses meant seeking out additional support for food assistance.

• Racial disparities among food pantry visitors exist in all communities across Greater Des Moines, but are especially pronounced in suburban communities.

  In some cities, certain racial groups are more than ten times as likely to use a food pantry compared with the general population. This points to significantly different financial realities between White - Not Hispanic people and people of color within suburban communities. Much of this reality can be traced back decades. Redlining policies of the 1930’s shaped our neighborhoods and prevented people who were not white from building wealth through homeownership. The same neighborhoods that were disengaged through racist policies nearly 100 years ago are still some of the areas of greatest need today. However, some disparities are more pronounced today based on new barriers to access. For example, Hispanic people are less likely to receive disability benefits, social security, and SNAP. This can likely be attributed to documentation status limiting program eligibility and fear of repercussions for using programs even when eligible. This also highlights the higher level of need for non-governmental resources for Hispanic people in our community.

• Gender disparities exist across all races and ethnicities.

  Across nearly every category, women are more likely to use a food pantry than men. There is no gender disparity among children. The level of disparity increases with age, from a gap of 5 percentage points among young adults to a 16 point gap among seniors. This points to financial disparities between men and women, and suggests a greater reluctance for asking for help from men.

• Average household size and average number of visits have increase

  The average household size being assisted by the DMARC Food pantry network increased from 2.34 to 2.43 individuals this fiscal year. This points to an increase of young adults and seniors living with family members as the cost of living and rent in the DSM metro outgrew wages and income in 2022.

• Just under half of all pantry visitors use a food pantry once or twice a year.

  The average food pantry visitor uses a food pantry 3.9 times in a year - an increase from last fiscal year. Only 4% of everyone who used a food pantry did so for all twelve months of fiscal year 2023. This points to the fact that most people use a food pantry only as a last resort when other options are not available.

• Seniors and people who identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander use food pantries at a higher frequency than others.

  While the average food pantry visitor used a food pantry 3.9 times a year, seniors visited food pantries 5.1 times a year on average, and people who identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander visited food pantries 5.4 times a year on average. Asian seniors visited an average of 6.6 times a year.

• The level of child poverty has increased and so has the percentage of children being assisted by DMARC

  The child poverty rate in the United States more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. WHY? A critical factor in this was the expiration of the pandemic-era expansion of the child tax credits. Just a year after the rate hit a historic low of 5.2 percent, the percentage of children living in poverty jumped to 12.4 percent in 2022 after congress allowed the policy to sunset. A key difference in how the policy operated previously was making the tax credit refundable, allowing millions of low income families to qualify who didn’t make enough to owe income tax. This year’s report shows that child poverty affects some demographic groups more than others. More than one in three of all people assisted were children (0-17 years old) but for white - Not Hispanic people, less than one in four assisted were children. 68.5 percent of those who identified as Multi-Race - Non-Hispanic were children, which is especially important as our communities are becoming more racially diverse.