Food Pantry Asks West Des Moines to Join Feinstein Challenge to Increase Giving

A press release from the des Moines Area Religious Council, which operates the food pantry network:

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," she said. "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 Awardfrom 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.