As federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is days away from running out, food banks, pantries and charitable groups across Iowa are bracing for what they anticipate will be “unprecedented” need. SNAP serves around than 270,000 Iowans each month and is a federally supported program. But as politicians in Washington D.C. squabble over […]
DMARC
More than 150 community groups make final plea to Gov. Reynolds: Don’t refuse federal aid for food-insecure Iowa kids
As 2024 draws to a close, the Iowa Hunger Coalition (IHC) is making one final push to persuade Gov. Kim Reynolds to participate in the USDA Summer EBT for Children program in 2025. That program, also known as SUN Bucks, provides $40 a month per child to a family’s SNAP benefit card during the three […]
Gov. Reynolds rejects millions in aid for food-insecure Iowa families (again), instead asking feds to fund her own ‘monthly box’ program
On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she is again refusing to allow Iowans to participate in a USDA program that provides millions of dollars in direct assistance to families with children to help cover the increased cost of food during summer months when kids aren’t in school. “In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive […]
CommUnity launches campaign to help its food bank meet increased summer demand
As food banks across Iowa see demands for their services increase over summer, CommUnity Crisis Services is holding a “Strike Out Hunger” fundraiser to make sure its food bank is able to meet those needs in Johnson County. The annual summer school break is always a challenge for food banks, as kids who receive lunch […]
Des Moines area food banks see a record-breaking surge in people needing assistance as June begins
Food banks always see an increase in the number of people who need help at the beginning of summer, as school vacations begin and kids no longer have easy access to the meals at school. But even with that expected increase, the surge the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network experienced this week […]
Sherman Hill’s neighborhood-wide Halloween celebration will rise from the grave on Oct. 31
The oldest neighborhood in Des Moines is back with their beloved Halloween tradition after a two-year hiatus. Halloween on the Hill returns to the Sherman Hill neighborhood on Oct. 31, larger than ever. “The event has really started as just some couple [of] Halloween nuts, or we’ll say Halloween enthusiasts, like myself, that were decorating […]

