Five Action Steps You Can Take Right Now in West Des Moines to Help Someone Else

1. Stock the West Des Moines food pantry.

Last year, West Des Moines residents stepped up in a big way to help Move the Food, the Des Moines Area Religious Council’s food pantry program, replenish its shelves.

The Food Pantry Network offers a three-day supply of food to individuals or families once per month through 13 neighborhood partner food pantry sites, including the pantry at West Des Moines Human Services.

Why not make stocking food pantry shelves an ongoing tradition in your family?

Here’s a glimpse at the depth of the problem.

2. Adopt a family for the holidays.

There are lots of programs around, including one offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters. West Des Moines Human Services also has adopt-a-family opportunities (see attached PDF).

3. Support the Link Associates of West Des Moines’ Holiday Food Basket program.

Link Associates serves mentally and physically disabled individuals and their families, many of whom live at or below the poverty level. Donate food baskets for Thanksgiving, as well as for Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families have multiple children with disabilities or primary caregivers with disabilities.

4. Give your time.

West Des Moines Human Services has a plethora of opportunities, everything from folks to receive, sort and help distribute clothing at the clothing closet to helping with bread giveaways and food pantry distribution.

5. Commit to baking some cookies for the Great Cookie Walk of West Des Moines.

The 9th annual Cookie Walk, the primary fund-raiser for the Youth Justice Initiative of West Des Moines, is coming up. YJI is a highly regarded restorative justice program targeting adolescent and teenage offenders with an enviable recidivism rate. Sign up to bake cookies by Nov. 12.