Upcoming Events
Saturday morning volunteers are needed at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market from May 4 through October 26. DMARC’s MovetheFood initiative in partnership with Meals for the Market, need booth workers to help get the donations of fresh produce and other great stuff to our warehouse and 13 partner food pantries.
In 2012, the Meals from the Market Program contributed to our distribution of over 300,000 pounds of fresh produce to our 13 pantry sites, a key aspect to our focus on health. To sign up, please go to the Meals from the Market volunteer website. Thanks so much! It’s going to be a great summer!
Here are the Saturday dates volunteers are needed at the Downtown Farmer’s Market:
May 11 & 25
June 8 & 22
July 6 & 20
August 3, 17 & 31
September 14 & 28
October 12 & 26
Category : Did You Know? &Slideshow Feature &Upcoming Events
The Iowa Cubs is supporting the DMARC Food Pantry by inviting fans to bring three food items in exchange for one general admission ticket. (General admission tickets may be upgraded to reserved grandstand for $3. Cash donations may be accepted for DMARC, but not for I-Cubs tickets.)
All dates are Sunday afternoon games which start at 1:05 p.m. Gates open at 11:35 a.m., volunteers are asked to arrive before that time. DMARC warehouse staff will have the donation area set up and will deliver food to the warehouse at the close.
If you and your friends, family, or group would like to sign up to help accept donations for one of these dates, simply send us an email with the date you’d like to volunteer.
2013 I-Cubs Sunday home game dates are:
April 14
May 5, 19 & 26
June 2, 9 & 16
July 14
August 11 & 25
Category : Did You Know? &Featured Food Drive &Slideshow Feature &Upcoming Events
For $5, you can purchase a Younkers 2-day Community Event Coupon Booklet through the Des Moines Area Religious Council. All proceeds from the sales will go to support the DMARC Food Pantry Network. Coupons can be used in stores Friday & Saturday, March 1 & 2, 2013. Booklets contain $400 worth of Younkers/BonTon coupons, plus a $10-off coupon.
DMARC CHALLENGE: Buy 2 or more, one for yourself and one for a friend. Help spread the DMARC mission of religious communities helping to meet basic human needs in greater Des Moines.
What your coupon donation can provide:
$5 = 7 meals
$25 = 35 meals
$100 = 135 meals
In 2012, DMARC served in greater Des Moines:
- Over 33,000 people
- Nearly 50% of DMARC food pantry clients are children and youth.
Click here to purchase your Younkers Community Event Coupon Booklet online.
Or contact the DMARC Office at 515-277-6969, to pickup your supply of booklets today!
Thank you for supporting DMARC!
Category : Item Of The Week &Upcoming Events
The Des Moines Buccaneers are hosting ”Babies on Ice,” Sunday, January 27, 2013, at their home game against the Lincoln Stars. Fans are invited to bring baby items — diapers size 5-6, including pull up trainers, wipes, and formula– to be donated to DMARC’s Food Pantry Network.
Everyone who donates gets entered into the Buccaneer’s drawing for a number of prizes.
The festivities include a half-time show, a nail biting “Baby Derby,” with five adorable little crawlers racing for the win. The baby derby will be emceed by announcers from Radio Group’s Star 102.5 FM channel. If you are interested in having your baby participate in the race, send an email to the Des Moines Buccaneers at: info@bucshockey.com.
The game starts at 3:05.
The rink is located at 7201 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Iowa.
Bring the whole family!
Category : Did You Know? &Upcoming Events
It’s time for the 10th Annual Hy-Vee Colossal Cookie Sale, September 11th – 24th.
Yes! One million cookies, that’s the goal.
Last year, we were able to purchase $7,000 worth of cereal with thanks to nearly 740,000 cookies that were sold through the annual Hy-Vee Colossal Cookie Sale.
Chocolate chip, M&M, sugar and peanut butter cookies will be offered in the colossal sale price.
Helping others never tasted so good!
How does it work? Stop by any metro Hy-Vee store, September 11-24, and purchase delicious cookies at the incredible price of 12 cents each (discounted to 11 cents for quantities of 100). Hy-Vee donates 1 cent per cookie to our Food Pantry Network. With a goal of selling one million cookies, well, if we did the math right, that’s a potential $10,000 worth of food for our pantry families!
The serving choices are endless: birthdays, holidays, gifts, graduations, family gatherings, congregational meals, staff parties. (Not only are these cookies soft and tastey, but they freeze well!)
And if this is not enough to convince you of the goodness of these cookies, Hy-Vee has given us their secret list of ingredients.
Here’s what it takes to make 1 million cookies:
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6,525 Lbs. of Granulated Sugar
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5,915 Lbs. of Brown Sugar
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9,214 Lbs. of Trans fat free shortening
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17,260 Lbs. of Flour
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3,300 Lbs. of Hershey’s Chocolate Chips
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2,640 Lbs. of M&M
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1,700 Lbs. of Peanut butter
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4,643 Lbs. of liquid eggs
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230 Lbs. of Butter and Vanilla Flavoring
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243 Lbs. of Salt
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243 Lbs. of Baking Soda
Yum! Flyers for this event are available to download and print from our website.
Find your neighborhood Hy-Vee store.
MovetheFood gives thanks to Hy-Vee for partnering with us in this ambitiously delicious campaign to feed our sweet tooth and to satisfy our pantry families.
Category : Did You Know? &Item Of The Week &Upcoming Events
DES MOINES (July 12, 2012) – Volunteers have helped plant and weed a mile of produce crops at the Rinehart Family Farm near Boone. This summer’s hot and dry conditions have brought the harvest on much faster than planned. Harvest and distribution is beginning this week instead of the original plan to harvest at the end of August.
Greg and Polly Rinehart are delivering 200 to 250 dozen ears of sweet corn (2,400 to 3,000 ears) to the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday morning, July 14. Volunteers will load the sweet corn into the DMARC Food Pantry Network and MovetheFood truck at 9 a.m. Additional volunteers will unload the truck along with donations from the Meals from the Market program at 12:45 p.m. at the Des Moines Area Religious Council’s warehouse at 3816 36th Street in Des Moines.
Press Availability and Volunteer Activity:
Downtown Farmers Market
West end and south side of Court Avenue (southeast corner of Court and 5th)
9 a.m., Saturday, July 14
Loading up to 3,000 ears of sweet corn onto the DMARC’s Movethefood truck
DMARC Food Pantry Network Warehouse
3816 36th Street, Des Moines
12:45 p.m., Saturday, July 14
Unloading sweet corn and the Meals from the Market
(See WHO-TV’s weekend news clip of the Nutrious Value: Volunteers Fill Pantry. The July 14th Food Pantry truck loading at the Downtown Farmer’s Market is featured.)
Go the Distance is possible by combining the efforts of businesses, non-profits, farms, and volunteers. Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL), a project of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center and Iowa Heartland RC&D, joined DMARC Food Pantry Network and three sponsoring members this year to help low income Central Iowans eat more fruits and vegetables. Rinehart Family Farm, Kitchen Collage of Des Moines, and Cultivating Compassion: The Richard Deming Foundation is providing the resources for volunteers to help grow a mile worth of vegetables. The food will be distributed to families utilizing food pantries in Central Iowa starting with this delivery of sweet corn. DMARC’s 12 food pantries and the Food Bank of Iowa will distribute these fresh vegetables.
“When central Iowa’s plates have more servings of fruits and vegetables that are fresh, flavorful, and locally grown, both families and farmers benefit,” says Matt Russell, coordinator of the Greater Des Moines BFBL campaign and staff member at Drake’s Agricultural Law Center.
Go the Distance adds to the work already being done by the Downtown Farmers Market with the weekly Meals From the Market fresh food donation program, which helps families using the DMARC food pantries in the metro area gain access to local produce.
“Our network brings together businesses, non-profits and farmers market partnerships to help in reducing waste, and yet it’s about so much more,” said Sarai Rice, executive director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, lead agency in the MovetheFood initiative. “It’s about nutrition, health and dignity. Our pantry families are often stunned when they see that they can access fresh produce at their pantry site. It’s a very hard step for families to take – to decide they need to go to a food pantry – and the fact that we can provide fresh food choices, I hope, makes it a little easier for families who are going through a hard time.”
“Kitchen Collage of Des Moines has long supported community involvement in agriculture,” says Teresa Adams-Tomka co-owner of the retailer that focuses on kitchen equipment and accessories. “With the Plant a Mile Project we are excited to so see many entities come together. Cultivating Compassion The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation, Reinhart Family Farms, Buy Fresh Buy Local, DMARC, and the Downtown Farmers Market are really impacting those in need of healthy fresh food.”
The first volunteer activity was April 3 at Kitchen Collage. Twenty volunteers cut 250 pounds of seed potatoes that were planted at the Rinehart Family Farm near Boone. The second volunteer activity was June 19 when 12 volunteers weeded and hilled potatoes at the Rinehart farm. The final volunteer activity will be harvesting a half mile of potatoes on August 1.
“This is a great way for people to help make a difference and become part of a project that’s building bridges in education, health, and wellness through locally grown foods, while serving those who are not able to afford the nutrient rich food that’s becoming increasingly abundant on Iowa farms,” adds Adams-Tomka. “This pilot project, which we hope to scale up in future years, increases the amount of locally grown produce available to low income families. This year, we’re planting a mile. Can we plant two miles next year? How about a 5k worth of produce from several farms? The idea is to build on this project over time. Just as a runner builds on the distance they can run, Go the Distance wants to build on how much fresh, locally grown produce we can make available for families depending on Central Iowa food pantries.”
For this project, Rinehart Family Farm is providing land and raising the crops during the growing season. DMARC and others are recruiting volunteers to come to the farm to plant, weed, and harvest the vegetables. Greater Des Moines BFBL with the support of our sponsors is paying the farmer for land, water, and maintenance costs on half a mile of production. Rinehart Family Farm is donating the other half mile. Harvested food will go to the DMARC food pantry warehouse and then be distributed to the individual food pantries. We are testing the efficacy of combining the commercial interests of farms and the good will of volunteers to establish an effective model for getting farm-scale, locally grown produce to area food pantries.
For more information about Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh Buy Local.
For more information, contact Matt Russell at 515-689-8219.
Category : Item Of The Week &Media Room &Upcoming Events
Thanks so much to everyone who made the 6th Annual DMARC Soup Supper and Pottery Sale such a wonderful event! If you couldn’t come, you can still donate to help support the Food Pantry Network. We’re pleased to present this slideshow of the event:
Sixth Annual DMARC Soup Supper and Pottery Sale
April 1, 2012 :: 4:30 – 7 p.m.
West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines (same location as last year)
For full media release, click here.
Proceeds benefit the DMARC Food Pantry Network.
Free will donation for supper.
Prices as marked for handcrafted pottery sale.
Register now!
(Not required but helpful for food counts.) To register, RSVP on Facebook or send us an email with the number of people in your party.
*As in past years, each participant gets to choose a beautiful crafted ceramic bowls, while supplies last, created at the RDG Dahlquist Art Studio Open Studio and donated by professional potters.
Meanwhile, check out the pictures from last year’s event.
- For a bulletin insert to print, click image.
10 reasons to come to the Soup Supper:
1. The party favors are fabulous. (While supplies last.)
2. You like to eat.
3. Everyone who’s anyone will be there.
4. The soup will be delicious.
5. You need to eat.
6. You get to meet the indomitable DMARC Food Pantry Network committee.
7. Pottery handcrafted by professional artists will be for sale — all benefiting the Food Pantry Network .
8. You like to support awesome causes, such as the DMARC Food Pantry Network.
9. You will feel all warm inside, and not just because of the soup.
10. It’s good to be together.
Category : Did You Know? &Upcoming Events
DES MOINES, Iowa (March 5, 2012)—The Des Moines Area Religious Council invites the community to its Sixth Annual Soup Supper and Pottery Sale, on Sunday, April 1, 2012, 4:30-7 p.m., at the West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines. Proceeds will benefit the DMARC Food Pantry Network.
“We are excited to once again welcome everyone to our signature event,” said Jeff Jungman, chair of the DMARC Food Pantry Committee. “Last year more than 500 people came for delicious soup, good conversation and to support a cause we all care about. Our team has extended much thought and care into the planning and we look forward to another warm and wonderful evening together.”
The soup choices are chicken noodle, vegan garden vegetable and the ever popular chili. The cost of the meal is a free will offering to be accepted at the door. Advance registration is requested so planners can most accurately predict food counts. To register, call 515-277-6969, email: info@dmreligious, or RSVP on Facebook. Facebook users may also invite their friends by using the Facebook users may also invite their friends by using the “invite friends” icon on the Soup Supper event post on Facebook.
All who come will receive a handcrafted ceramic bowl while supplies last. Hundreds of pottery bowls were created for this event by professional potters and their students; and community members who attended the RDG Dahlquist Studios Open Studio in February.“invite friends” icon on the Soup Supper event post on Facebook.
“In this time of great need, the Soup Supper reminds me of our abundance in relationships and resources,” said Sarai Schnucker Rice, executive director for DMARC. “The recession has caused us to make difficult financial decisions in recent months, including reducing food box contents, yet this community has amped up the support and I’m grateful again for what we can accomplish when we all come together. The Soup Supper is a time to celebrate our bounty, and also to consider what more we can do to ensure enough food for all.”
To help promote the event, congregations, businesses and groups are invited to stop by the DMARC main office to pick up a free color poster, M-F, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 3816 36th Street, Des Moines. For more information and resources, including the poster and flyer to print, see the website: www.movethefood.org/soupsupper.
The DMARC Food Pantry Network consists of 12 separate pantry sites, a centralized warehouse, and numerous community partners. The DMARC Food Pantry Network is health-based and is the largest food pantry network in Iowa. Pantry sites are located in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and eight sites in Des Moines. In 2011, the network provided short-term food assistance for nearly 33,000 people, including about 15,000 children or youth under the age of 25 years.
The Des Moines Area Religious Council is an interfaith organization with a core membership of about 137 congregations from ten faith traditions. Recipient of the 2010 Aurora Award from the Des Moines Register, DMARC provides a common means of responding to basic human needs and a context for interfaith dialogue.
MovetheFood is a DMARC-led community initiative to address the entire food system in Greater Des Moines, building on more than 35 years of food assistance work, catalyzing fresh generations and engaging new constituencies to further support a vision for a day when everyone in Polk County has enough to eat.
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Media Contact: Sarai Schnucker Rice, DMARC executive director, sarai@dmreligious.org, (515) 277-6969
Link to photo gallery from last year’s Soup Supper event.
Category : Did You Know? &Media Room &Upcoming Events
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Media Contact:
Sarai Schnucker Rice, DMARC Executive Director, sarai@dmreligious.org, (515) 277-6969
DMARC Food Pantry Network invites the community to increase giving impact through the Feinstein Challenge
DES MOINES, Iowa (March 1, 2012) — The Des Moines Area Religious Council invites the community to participate in the 2012 Feinstein Challenge, an annual $1 Million giveaway to fight hunger. All donations and pledges to the DMARC Food Pantry Network, including cash and food items, given or pledged between March 1 – April 30, 2012, with a mention of the Feinstein Challenge will help boost DMARC’ s portion of the Feinstein grant.
Participants may simply write the word “Feinstein” on their check or food donation card, or for online gifts, designate “Feinstein” in the options of gift allocations. The Feinstein grant is distributed to all eligible organizations proportionally, based on cash and food pledges and donations received during the Challenge.
“As we continue to see sustained high need for short-term food assistance, the Feinstein Challenge is an easy and effective way for congregations, businesses, and individuals alike to give an extra lift to their food pantry donations.” said Kristine Frakes, DMARC development director. “Historically, the Greater Des Moines community has responded very generously to DMARC’s Feinstein Challenge. In the past two years, the local campaign has resulted in food and cash donations equal to nearly 200,000 meals. That kind of support makes a huge difference in DMARC’s capacity to help families at times of urgent need.
This year, the goal is to reach $90,000 in Feinstein Challenge donations for the DMARC Food Pantry Network. Feinstein’s past annual spring challenges to fight hunger have raised over $1 Billion nationwide.
To pledge a future gift or for more information, contact Kristine Frakes at kfrakes@dmreligious.org or (515) 277-6969, ext. 13. A reproducible flyer and bulletin insert are posted on the website.
The DMARC Food Pantry Network consists of 12 separate pantry sites, a centralized warehouse, and numerous community partners. The DMARC Food Pantry Network is health-based and is the largest food pantry network in Iowa. Pantry sites are located in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and eight sites in Des Moines. In 2011, the network provided short-term food assistance for about 33,000 people, including about 15,000 children or youth under the age of 25 years.
The Des Moines Area Religious Council is an interfaith organization with a core membership of about 137 congregations from ten faith traditions. Recipient of the 2010 Aurora Award from the Des Moines Register, DMARC provides a common means of responding to basic human needs and a context for interfaith dialogue.
MovetheFood is a DMARC-led initiative to address the entire food system in Greater Des Moines, building on more than 35 years of food assistance work, catalyzing fresh generations, and engaging new constituencies to further support a vision for a day when everyone in Polk County has enough to eat.
Category : Did You Know? &Media Room &Upcoming Events
It’s time to call out your inner artist!
RDG Dahlquist Art Studio
Open Studio Day
Saturday, February 4
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
to benefit the DMARC Food Pantry Network
location: RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, 316 SW 5th Street, Des Moines, Iowa
RDG Dahlquist Art Studio is collaborating with DMARC / MovetheFood to provide handmade bowls for the 6th Annual Soup Supper on April 1st. The studio provides the wheels, the clay and the firing. We need you to make the bowls!
Questions about the Open Studio? Contact RDG Dahlquist Art Studio office at 515-284-1675 or jwoida@rdgusa.com.
MovetheFood is pleased to accept cash and in-kind donations at Open Studio Day. Your support of the DMARC Food Pantry Network is greatly appreciated!
click banner to open an 8 X 11 flyer to print and post
Category : Did You Know? &Upcoming Events
