eVoice - November 19, 2014

Central Student Rachel Frana Uses GIS to Map Food Need

Rachel Frana, a Central College senior in environmental studies, is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the locations and demographic data of over 8,000 families served by DMARC pantries.

Frana will connect clients' locations to their demographic data, showing which pantries serve - or ought to serve - large numbers of distinct age or ethnic groups. This will help DMARC customize its pantries to the needs of different areas.

(Read the full article at central.edu)

Donate while you Shop with AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile automatically donates 0.5% of your purchases to a charity of your choice every time you shop with them. Select DMARC as the charity of your choice the first time you visit AmazonSmile, and your information will be saved. Click on the image above, or link below, to get started! Please keep AmazonSmile and DMARC in mind as you do your holiday shopping. Thank You!

smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0788211

Help Sustain the David Bear Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series

Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and the family of the late David Bear.

The 4th Annual David Bear Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series was held last week at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Rabbi Gershom Sizomu was inspiring, witty, and full of information. For more information on Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and the Abayudaya Jews of Eastern Uganda, visit Be'chol Lashon.

You can help sustain the David Bear Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series with a contribution by visiting dmreligious.org/donate. All contributed funds for the lecture series will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor, up to $10,000.

Past years' lectures have featured topics of forgiveness, the role of music in worship, and Jewish-Christian relations. With your help, this lecture series can continue for years to come, upholding a tradition of interfaith excellence.

For more information on donating, contact Kristine Frakes, kfrakes@dmreligious.org or 515-277-6969.

Des Moines Area Religious Council

1435 Mulberry Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-277-6969

dmreligious.org

movethefood.org

Community Calendar

November 20

Oxfam Hunger Banquet

November 22

Johnston Alternative Gift Market

November 23

Care for the Care Giver Workshop

December 6

Cookie Walk

DMARC does not require participation in religious services as a condition to receive assistance, and does not engage in religious proselytizing or counseling. DMARC practices non-discrimination in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations. All services and programs are provided to consumers without discrimination in regard to family size or structure, religious or cultural beliefs, race, gender, age,
or disability.

Disclaimer: The Des Moines Area Religious Council makes every effort to provide accurate and useful general information in its eVoice, but accepts no liability for the use of the material by individuals or organizations. We gladly distribute information from member or partner individuals, congregations, and other agencies, but our inclusion of such material should not be construed as being sponsored or endorsed by DMARC. Undated general announcements and employment opportunities are included for one week unless requested to be included for a longer period of time.

Volunteers Needed: Wellness and Independence through Nutrition (WIN)

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is seeking volunteers to assist with the WIN program.

The goal of the Wellness and Independence through Nutrition Program (WIN), formerly known as the Food Assistance Outreach Project, is to reduce hunger in underserved mid-life and older Iowans, age 50 years and older, who are eligible for but not yet enrolled in the food assistance program.

Interested in volunteering? WIN Program Volunteer Educators are asked to:

Attend a training session (up to 2 hours) to learn about the program and how to conduct the presentations;
Contact organizations that serve adults age 50+ years to schedule presentations;
Conduct 30-minute WIN Program presentations, and/or set up information displays; and
Complete WIN Program paperwork as needed.

To serve as a WIN Program Volunteer Educator, contact Mary Krisco at mkrisco@iastate.edu or 515-957-5787.

Johnston Alternative Gift Market

The first annual Johnston Alternative Gift Market will be held Saturday, November 22, 2014 from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, 6426 Merle Hay Road in Johnston.

The market will offer holiday shoppers the opportunity to give gifts in honor of friends or relatives that help those in need locally and around the world. Their motto is:
"Honoring those who have enough by giving to those who have too little".

For additional information contact Sue VanEssen at 515-201-3551 or svan4590@mchsi.com.

Oxfam America Hunger Banquet

The Oxfam America Hunger Banquet will be held this Thursday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m. at Drake University's Olmsted Center.

Oxfam America is a global organization working to right this wrong and end the injustice of poverty in the world. The Oxfam America Hunger Banquet is an interactive experience designed to raise awareness about poverty in a fun and enlightening way. Participants will share a meal together while learning what it means to live in society's upper, middle, or lower class. Every hunger banquet is a unique and moving experience driven by the individuals who attend it. You are invited to spend the evening with members of your community learning, experiencing, and working to right the wrong of global poverty and injustice!

Keynote address: Reverend Dr. Brigitte Annette Black has pastored Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Des Moines, IA since October 24, 2010. In addition, she is Vice President of the Board of Project Iowa and is a member of AMOS serving on the Criminal Justice Team. Currently, she is teaching "Black Christianity and Prophetic Politics" at Drake University.

RSVP on Facebook

Care for the Caregiver Workshop

Ankeny First United Methodist Church is hosting a Care for the Caregiver Workshop on Sunday, November 23, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. at their uptown location.

If you are the care giver for someone with mental illness or cognitive disabilities, this workshop is designed for you. Learn practical tips to decrease stress and tension, while embracing the peace and glory of the season.

Diane Hernandez, Disability Resource Specialist for Iowa Employment Solutions at DMACC, brings her wide range of personal and professional experience to this pre-holiday event. Free.

For more information contact Jacque Coulson, Director of Care and Connection, Ankeny First UMC. 515-964-4249
Jacque.Coulson@Ankenyfumc.org.

Who Are We?

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.

The DMARC Food Pantry Network consists of 12 separate pantry sites, a centralized warehouse, and numerous community partners. It 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 2013, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted more than 34,000 individuals in the greater Des Moines community; half of whom are children and youth.

MovetheFood is a DMARC-led initiative to address the entire food system in Greater Des Moines, building on nearly 40 years of the Food Pantry Network, catalyzing fresh generations, and engaging new constituencies to further support a vision for a day when everyone in Polk County has enough to eat.

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