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Des Moines Area Religious Council

1435 Mulberry Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-277-6969

www.dmreligious.org

www.movethefood.org

March 18, 2014

Hunger Challenge
Special Giving Options:

Help fill the shelves of DMARC's new Food Pantry Warehouse!

DES MOINES, Iowa - Today through April 30, 2014, you can increase your giving impact with two donation matching offers partnering with the Des Moines Area Religious Council. The goal: to fill the shelves of the new DMARC food pantry warehouse that is four times larger than DMARC's former facility!

Douglas M. Woods $10,000 "Challenge Hunger" Gift
This is the second year that local philanthropist Douglas M. Woods has generously committed to provide 50 cents for every dollar donated to the DMARC Food Pantry Network, up to the first $20,000 in donations. This challenge comes during a season when donations to the food pantry are historically low. Yet, the need for food assistance continues year-round. As part of the Challenge, your $10 becomes $15, $50 equals $75, and so on. During the "Challenge Hunger" offer, a $10 gift will help provide a week's worth of meals for a family.

"We are so grateful for Doug's generosity," said DMARC development director, Kristine Frakes. "We are optimistic that this challenge will also help boost awareness that 35,000 of our neighbors require help in meeting their short-term food needs each year," she continued.

The "Feinstein" Foundation & DMARC Team Up to Knock Out Hunger!
In 2013, the Feinstein Challenge resulted in over $99,000 in donations, or about 109,000 meals, designated for the DMARC Food Pantry. This year's goal is $100,000. Each gift or pledge will help boost DMARC' s portion of the $1 Million Feinstein grant which is distributed to all eligible organizations proportionally, based on cash pledges and donations and food received during the "Feinstein Challenge". Consider designating a DMARC food pantry gift or pledge as a match for the 2014 Feinstein Challenge.

How it works.

Cash gifts can be designated for both challenges. Simply write the word "Challenge Hunger" and/or "Feinstein" on your check or donation card. For online gifts, designate these words in the Additional Instructions field.

If you prefer to pledge a future gift or if you need additional information, contact Development Director Kristine Frakes at: kfrakes@dmreligious.org.

Donate online at: www.dmreligious.org/donate, or mail your donation to: DMARC, PO Box 12278, Des Moines, IA 50312-9405. Phone donations are also welcome at 515-277-6969.

Businesses, congregations, and other groups may download a flyer to post or a bulletin insert from the DMARC website. This is the prime time to contribute to DMARC's Food Pantry Network-gifts will grow to even more food for the hungry in our community!

Thank you for your support!

MovetheFood is a DMARC-led initiative to address the entire food system in Greater Des Moines, building on more than 37 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.

The DMARC Food Pantry Network is the largest in Iowa, made up of a centralized warehouse and 13 partnering distribution sites. The DMARC Food Pantry network helps meet short-term food needs when families do not have enough to eat. Once each month, families can receive a free, four-day supply of nutritionally balanced food. In 2013, DMARC assisted more than 34,000 individuals in the Greater Des Moines community; half of whom were children and youth.

The Des Moines Area Religious Council is an interfaith organization with a core membership of over 130 congregations from four faith traditions. Recipient of the 2012 LIVE UNITED Advocate Award from the United Way of Central Iowa, DMARC provides a common means of responding to basic human needs and a context for interfaith dialogue.

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