DMARC's mission is the meet the basic human needs of the greater Des Moines community and fighting food insecurity is its most visible contribution.Today, the DMARC Food Pantry Network consists of 14 partner pantries and nearly 30 mobile food pantry sites that assist nearly 56,000 unique individuals annually in Central Iowa. 

Those who currently utilize the DMARC pantry do so on average only 4 times during the course of one year. By and large, people use a pantry when they must, but no more. DMARC continues to be part of a safety net for our community, helping those in need when that need occurs. Women, children, and adults over 60 comprise the majority of people receiving food assistance through the DMARC Food Pantry Network. One in three people assisted by DMARC are children. Food pantry visitors represent diverse religious, cultural, regional, and ethnic backgrounds. An estimated 95% of food pantry users have household incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.

Once per calendar month, people can receive a three-day supply of food through the DMARC Food Pantry Network, dependent on household size (AnyTime Items are also available on a more frequent basis).

DMARC makes special effort to provide healthy food to individuals facing food insecurity. These items include, but are not limited to, the following food items shown on this page. Your donation to DMARC through this Virtual Food Drive will support DMARCs continued efforts to support those in need of food assistance.

THREE-DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD FOR $6

Each food pantry visitor receives 12 food items, including fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, canned chicken, pasta and pasta sauce, peanut butter, cereal, and soup.

14 FOOD ITEMS FOR $10

DMARC can purchase canned fruit, canned vegetables, soup, pasta sauce, canned tuna, and canned chicken for around 70 cents apiece. Your $10 donation provides 14 of these food items.

23 FOOD ITEMS FOR $30

DMARC can purchase peanut butter, whole grain cereal, and hot cereal for about $1.30 apiece (hot cereal can be as low as $1.04!). Your $30 donation will provide 23 of these food items.