Featured News

Des Moines Area Religious Council Awarded $20,000 in Grant Funding to Provide Hunger Relief for Children

05 Mar 10

DMARC executive director, Sarai Schnucker Rice, and president, John Holcombe, receive a check from Prairie Meadows representatives.

The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) recently received $20,000 from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino’s 2009 Community Betterment Grant Program. Grant funds will help support the Council’s Emergency Food Pantry.

“We are deeply grateful to have received these funds during this time of extraordinary need in our community,” said executive director, Sarai Rice. “With one in five children in Polk County living in poverty, this $20,000 will be used to provide almost 30,000 meals for more than 1,900 low-income children.”

 

DMARC has operated the Emergency Food Pantry in Greater Des Moines for nearly 35 years, helping meet the short-term need for food when families are not eligible for or aware of the Food Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps), or when the program is inadequate to meet their food needs. Families can receive a free, five-day supply of nutritionally balanced food once each 30 days.

 

With a centralized warehouse distribution center and nine separate pantry sites, the DMARC Emergency Food Pantry is the largest food pantry network in Iowa. Pantry sites are located in West Des Moines, Ankeny, and Urbandale, with six sites in Des Moines. In 2009, the Emergency Food Pantry assisted more than 11,500 different families (30,000+ individuals).

 

On December 8, 2009, the United States Conference of Mayors released the 2009 "Hunger and Homelessness Survey - A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities." The report, covering the period of October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2009, includes data on emergency food assistance and homeless services, as reported by 27 cities (including Des Moines) that comprise the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness.

 

Key Report Findings - Profile of Hunger in Des Moines, Iowa

• 35% increase in requests for emergency food assistance (compares to an average 26% increase across cities included in the Survey, which is the largest average increase in 18 years)
• 35% increase in quantity of emergency food distributed 
• To quote from the report: "This growth was sustained largely by an increase in donations from the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), which operates the city's primary food program."
• 20% of the current need for emergency food assistance remains unmet
• Just 2% of community-based emergency food assistance is reported as funded through Federal revenue sources, the 4th lowest level of Federal support among the 26 cities surveyed.

Feinstein Challenge for Charity

25 Feb 10

March and April mark the $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger, also known as the Feinstein Challenge, a special annual opportunity for DMARC to raise additional funds. 

Every year, philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein gives a total of $1 million to non-profit organizations nationwide that participate in the fight against hunger. 

 

This grant is distributed to all eligible organizations proportionally, based on cash and food donations received as a part of the Feinstein Challenge during the months of March and April.  Over the past twelve years, participating organizations have raised more than $1 billion, making the Challenge the most successful effort to fight hunger of all time.  

 

How can you help?  It’s simple.  Donations made to the Des Moines Area Religious Council between March 1 and April 30 that are designated as a match for the Feinstein Challenge will count toward DMARC’s share of the $1 million grant.  The more you give, the more we get. 

 

This is a spectacular opportunity for DMARC, and we ask you to consider ways you can help. 

DMARC Diaper Central: Collect 60,000 Diapers by July 1

24 Feb 10

Many of the young families receiving food assistance through the DMARC Emergency Food Pantry cannot cover their basic needs for diapers, baby wipes, and infant formula.

While safety-net programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (women, infants, and children) assist with the cost of formula and baby food, neither program covers necessities such as diapers and wipes.

 

Because inadequate access to diapers is often a symptom of a larger issue of poverty or crisis, DMARC is responding to this extraordinary and urgent community need by serving as a centralized warehouse and emergency distribution network for baby diapers and hygiene items. From February-June, our goal is to secure 60,000 diapers that will help more than 1,600 infants and toddlers.  

 

Community Need

• In just one of DMARC’s nine pantry distribution sites, there are more than 1,300 infants and babies age 24 months and younger registered to receive diapers.
• A healthy infant uses 10-12 diapers in 24 hours, and a healthy toddler 6-8 per day. In limited-income households, a baby may remain in a single soiled diaper all day, or sometimes days at a time, increasing health risks.
• Unhappy babies are crying babies. Regrettably, a baby crying non-stop from being in a soiled diaper for a long time is at higher risk to be abused.
• Diapers are expensive. A healthy change of disposable diapers for one child costs $100 a month or more – for all ages.
• Cloth is often not an option. Licensed childcare centers require parents to leave disposable diapers for their child(ren). Low-income families have limited access to personal washing machines and limited resources to use the machines, even when available. Many laundromats do not allow washing of cloth diapers.
• Parents who cannot afford to leave disposables with child care providers often leave the workforce or quit school until their children are out of diapers.

How You Can Help – By partnering with DMARC to provide support for something as basic as diapers through the Diaper Central project, businesses, congregations, individuals and other groups can make a real and immediate difference in the lives of low-income families and their young children.

DMARC Soup Supper a Huge Success

22 Feb 10

Thank you to everyone who helped make our 4th annual Soup Supper a tremendous success.  More than 500 people attended this year, making this the most successful Soup Supper we've had.  Thanks you also to all the artists, groups, and volunteers who made bowls for the event. 

The Des Moines Register did a write-up of the event that you can read here.  Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible.

The Pet Pantry

17 Dec 09

A loved pet should never lose his or her home just because money is tight. This program provides pet food and supplies to families experiencing financial difficulties, thereby reducing the number of animals surrendered to shelters.

We stock our shelves with food and supplies (including basic medicines) donated by caring individuals like yourself. If you’d like to make a donation, arrange delivery by calling 877/570-PETS or emailing info@thepetprojectmidwest.org.

 

Aprons to Feed the Hungry

11 Dec 09

DMARC supporter Lynn Howard like to sew, and this holiday season, she had an idea.  She made aprons for friends, family, and more and donated the proceeds to DMARC's Emergency Food Panty.  To date, she has sold more than 60 aprons.  Thank you, Lynn.  You are a true inspiration.

Deere Foundation Helps United Way

20 Nov 09

DMARC has received a tremendous $60,000 contribution from from a grant given by the John Deere Foundation to be distributed by the United Way that will help us meet the increased need we see with the approach of winter and the holiday season.  We extend our thanks to John Deere and all those whose contributions make our work possible.

Iowa Rent Help

29 Oct 09

Iowa Rental Help is a new program administered by the State of Iowa that provides qualified Iowans with temporary financial assistance to secure permanent housing. 

 Some eligible expenses include:

• Rent payment assistance*
• Utility payment assistance*
• Utility deposit
• Security deposit
• Budgeting
• And more! 

*Rent and utility payments may also be covered up to six months in arrears!

While Iowa Rental Help can provide a wide variety of tools to assist renters, it can also assist Iowans in a variety of situations.

To qualify, income must not exceed 50% of the area median income. In some specific and rare cases, eligibility varies. Contact Iowa Rental Help to learn about eligibility in your area. Also Iowa Rental Help may not be combined with any other federal assistance, including Section 8, etc.

Iowans in need should contact Iowa Rental Help by phone, text or email for more information and to schedule a consultation.

• Phone: 877.386.9104
• Text: RENT to 30644
• Email: iowarentalhelp@iowa.gov

At the consultation, eligibility and types of assistance will be determined.

Local case managers will meet with their clients every three months to reassess the situation and review the assistance.

After a maximum of 18 months in the program, it is Iowa Rental Help's goal that Iowans in need will have gained stability as well as adequate housing for their needs.