27 Oct Meals on the Move

By Makena Schoene 

Blog and Social Media Coordinator, Student Editor, The Drake Community Press

What has four wheels and one amazing vision? This summer brought many new and exciting things to the Des Moines area, but the one we really want to share with you comes straight from our current community partner, the Des Moines Area Religious Council (also known as DMARC). On June 22, 2016, DMARC unveiled their Mobile Food Pantry. It’s like any other pantry in the DMARC Food Pantry Network, except for the fact it comes rolling in on four wheels. “Visitors to the pantry may receive a three- day supply of food, once per month,” says DMARC representative, Luke Elzinga. “In addition, they may come any day the pantry is open for ‘Anytime Items’, such as donated produce, bread products, dried beans, Meals from the Heartland, and other supplemental food items.”

So why is the mobile food pantry so important? With their new set of wheels, DMARC can now target underserved areas and bring the food directly into that neighborhood without setting up an entire brick and mortar operation. Paid for by the Polk County Board of Supervisors and the Partnership for a Hunger Free Polk County, the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry is able to operate thanks to numerous donations from Stivers Ford Lincoln, Schneider Graphics, Snappy’s Trailer Store, and H&H Trailers.

Needless to say, our community partner is taking great strides in order to improve the welfare and livelihood of all Des Moines inhabitants!

For more information, visit https://www.dmarcunited.org/food/mobile/. Or to get involved in volunteering, contact Joe Dolack, the Mobile Food Pantry Manager, at jdolack@dmarcunited.org.

Information provided by Luke Elzinga, Communications Manager for the Des Moines Area Religious Council