Marisol’s Story
by Leslie Garman, Director of Development & Outreach
"If you were here right now, I'd give you a hug!"
No, I'm not the one saying that; Marisol, a DMARC food pantry visitor is. And she's saying it because she's grateful—to you.
Thanks to you and your support, the DMARC Food Pantry Network continues to serve as a safety net for our community's most vulnerable, including women like Marisol, who are doing their best to make ends meet and provide for both themselves and their family.
And Marisol's story is all too common. She is just one of the 58,700 unique ...
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 ...
Staff Spotlight: Michael Sirois
Get to know DMARC Warehouse Associate Michael Sirois!
What drew you to DMARC originally, and how has it changed since then?
Well to be honest, I got a text from Andrew (another member of the DMARC team) asking me if I was looking for a job. And, well, long story short, I said yes. That is how I got drawn to DMARC.
What do you like most about working at DMARC?
What I really like most about working at DMARC is the fact that we are not afraid to change for the better. We are always looking for better ways to meet the needs of the people we serve.
What is your ...
DMARC Honors the Life of Forrest Harms
Rev. Forrest Harms, former Executive Director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, passed away on November 5 at the age of 79. Harms served as Executive Director of DMARC for 17 years, from January 1990 to July 2007.
Rev. Harms was dedicated to the interfaith mission of DMARC, and worked to create opportunities for interfaith learning through the January Thaw adult education series and interfaith panels, forums, and worship services. In 1992, he created the DMARC Interfaith Service Awards Luncheon to honor congregations and organizations who demonstrated a shared ...
DMARC Launches Mobile Food Pantry at CareMore Health with $10,000 Donation from Amerigroup Foundation
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is launching a mobile food pantry with a recent $10,000 Amerigroup Foundation donation at CareMore Health’s Des Moines Care Center, 1530 East Euclid Avenue in Des Moines. DMARC’s mobile food pantry will be on-location at CareMore from 2:00-4:00pm on Wednesday, October 27, and will be there every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month following.
Visitors to the mobile food pantry can select from a variety of healthy foods available. Once per calendar month, visitors can receive a 3-day supply of food based on family size, ...
Staff Spotlight: Luke Elzinga
Luke Elzinga joined DMARC in April of 2014. As Communications and Advocacy Manager, he writes and edits a variety of written material for print and web, designs print pieces and graphics, maintains dmarcunited.org, takes photos, produces videos, manages press outreach, leads DMARC's advocacy efforts, and other communications and advocacy tasks.
Luke earned his BA in Advertising from Iowa State University. He previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Montana Legal Services Association in Helena, Montana. Luke is a 2017 fellow of the New Leaders Council Des ...
Staff Spotlight: Monica Curl
Get to know DMARC Development & Outreach Associate Monica Curl!
What drew you to DMARC originally, and how has it changed since then?
Just out of college I chose to become an AmeriCorps VISTA and as a VISTA I worked with three different organizations and DMARC was one of them. As a VISTA I completed in person interviews with people using the food pantries. I was impressed that DMARC was asking questions about what the pantry clients would like in a pantry and that they also worked to provide healthy food. I turned down another career path and when looking of a ...
Volunteer Spotlight: Sarah Engbretson
This month we're shining a spotlight on DMARC volunteer Sarah Engbretson, who serves on multiple DMARC committees and helps engage young professionals in fighting hunger. Thank you for all you do for DMARC, Sarah!
Why do you volunteer with DMARC?
I love how DMARC serves the community. Not only do they provide healthy and culturally appropriate options at the pantries in their network, their mission is to provide assistance in a dignified and respectful way. DMARC encounters people in their most vulnerable state and knowing that they meet every person who enters one of ...
DMARC Applauds Historic Increase to SNAP Benefits
The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) applauds the recent announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, used to calculate benefit amounts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in Iowa as Food Assistance.
As a result, effective October 1, the average SNAP benefit will increase by 27%, or $36.24 more per person, per month. A temporary 15% increase to SNAP benefits that was included in the 2021 American Rescue Plan is set to expire on September 30.
“For the 285,000 ...
