A network of food pantries in the Des Moines metro saw a record high number of visitors in November, beating even pre-pandemic levels of need.
In their busiest day of all time before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) assisted just under 1,500 people. Now, they are averaging that number almost every day.
DMARC operates 14 food pantry sites, a Mobile Food Pantry and home delivery service. They are the largest food pantry network in Iowa. Almost 30,000 unique individuals visited DMARC’s food pantries last month, which was the highest monthly total in the 50-year history of the network.
Communications Manager Blake Willadsen said the new level of need strains their already existing budget deficit.
“We’ve got a line out the door when we open, and a line out the door as we’re trying to close,” Willadsen said. “What it feels like on day-to-day basis, for somebody who has been in these spaces for a while, is like we're setting a record every single day.”
He added that the "sheer amount of stress” this level of demand puts on volunteers is forcing some to take longer breaks from their work. Some are even stepping away from volunteering entirely.
We're seeing people come more often. We're seeing larger household sizes. And all these things start to add up.Blake Willadsen with DMARC
While DMARC continues to guarantee a healthy, three-day supply of food, they have had to cut back on certain items like culturally-specific foods. Things like pet food, diapers and formula are funded by donations.
“We've had to use donations in different ways to try and make those food items stretch a little bit further,” Willadsen said. “We're seeing people come more often. We're seeing larger household sizes. And all these things start to add up. There’s no one piece of straw that broke the camel's back. But it's really starting to pile up in the aggregate.”
Willadsen attributes the rise in numbers to inflation and rent going up, while wages have stayed stagnant. Nearly one in three people asking for help at a DMARC food pantry are there for the first time. About one in three people serviced are also under the age of 18.
DMARC, however, is not the only one facing unprecedented levels of need. In September, the Cedar Rapids food pantry, Together We Achieve, announced an emergency fundraiser. If they could not raise $50,000 in a week, the food pantry would have to shut down. They raised $44,820, enough to stay afloat for a few more months. Half of the money was from an anonymous donor.
That same week, another Cedar Rapids pantry, Olivet Neighborhood Mission, closed their doors for good. According to Little Village, demand outpaced the resources available.
Food pantries are typically more accessible to people than government programs like SNAP. The federal application asks for a lot of information that many do not have readily available, according to Willadsen. DMARC food pantries have no income or residency requirements — they are open to anyone who feels like they need help.
While there is no “typical” visitor, most people who utilize food pantries only need help for the short term. More than 46% of visitors used DMARC pantries only once or twice a year. People living paycheck to paycheck visit a food pantry when unexpected expenses pop up; for example, when someone breaks an ankle or rips their winter coat.
DMARC requests that supporters make direct donations rather than donating food. The organization can buy up to six times more food than the average person can with the same amount of money. More options to support DMARC are available at their website.
DMARC is also advocating for Iowa to join the federal Summer EBT program that provides money to families with children over the summer months to help them buy food. Willadesen says, if a family member has any dietary restrictions they know what kinds of food they choose to buy.
“We think that providing that kind of support, where families are able to make that choice — and we trust them to make that choice — is really, really important,” he said.
Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to join the USDA program known as SUN Bucks in favor of proposing of her own plan to provide families with monthly food boxes. The USDA denied funding for that program, but Reynolds has said she plans to pursue it again under the incoming Trump administration.
The deadline for Iowa to opt in to Summer EBT is Jan. 1, 2025.
