eVoice - September 15, 2015
August Food Pantry Use Continues Trend
The month of August continued the general trend we have been seeing since this March in our Food Pantry Network: an about 20% growth in the number of families served.

In August, we served 5,582 families made up of 14,369 individuals.

315 families used a food pantry for the first time ever.
What is the cause of this trend? When Polk County River Place Food Pantry opened in March, the facility expanded the reach and access of the DMARC Food Pantry Network. Many visitors to the pantry are new to the Network. This previously under-served population can now get the food they need.

The pantry is open 40 hours a week and is located right on the DART line, both valuable pieces in expanding access to food in Greater Des Moines.
The 13th Annual Hy-Vee Colossal Cookie Sale begins this Sunday! From September 13-26, Hy-Vee cookies are just $0.12, or you can buy 100 for $10.99!
 
For each cookie sold, Hy-Vee will donate a penny's worth of food to the DMARC Food Pantry Network. Since 2003, Hy-Vee has donated over $84,000 through the Colossal Cookie Sale!
 
Now in its 13th year, the Colossal Cookie Sale has sold nearly 8.5 million cookies in total. This year, we're aiming for an all-time record number to push the total to 10 million cookies sold!
You can help us reach this goal in the following ways:
  • Remind your congregation of the Colossal Cookie Sale
  • Download a flyer to hang up or share
  • Purchase cookies for your congregation, small group, sports team or workplace
  • Get the word out on social media using the hashtag #10MillionCookies
  • Share, retweet, and 'like' our social media activity (Facebook / Twitter)
  • Send us a photo of you and your cookies to info@dmarcunited.org
Thank you, Hy-Vee, and everyone who participates in the Colossal Cookie Sale!
USDA Report on Food Insecurity in 2014
A new report out by the USDA found that 48 million Americans lived in food insecure households in 2014. That means 14% of Americans lived in food insecurity, and nearly 20% of all households with children were food insecure. The USDA defines food insecurity as lacking access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.

In Iowa, the amount of food insecure people is lower than the national average: 11.4%.

The Agriculture Department's annual report on food security says 11.4 percent of Iowa households were "food insecure" in the three-year period covering 2012 to 2014, meaning they had difficulty at some point providing enough food for all family members. The level reflects a 0.6 percentage-point decrease from the 2009-11 record and a 1.2 percentage-point increase from a decade ago.

-The Des Moines Register, September 9, 2015
Despite modest gains, many of our neighbors in Greater Des Moines are still struggling to find enough food to put on their plates. One in ten of us. We still have great challenges as we work to end hunger in Polk County.
The Comparison Project Lecture this Thursday
Dr. Zagoren's Comparison Project presentation aims to take the audience on a journey through humanity's continued confrontation with death, with an emphasis on our attempts to prolong the inevitable.  Along the way, the audience will gaze at western society's attempt to define and depict the dying process, inspect the role that human technology has played in redefining and ultimately confusing the end of life, and look out at the potential impact of future technology.  Influenced by the bestselling book How We Die by Sherwin Nuland, Dr. Zagoren's presentation, like Nuland's, is grounded in a physician's observations. But Dr. Zagoren's presentation travels beyond medicine and science to art and music, underscoring the central mystery that is our death. 
 
Dr. Allen Zagoren is Associate Professor of Public Administration in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University, where he also serves as Chairperson of the Department of Management and Public Administration and the Graduate Curriculum Committee.  He is a trained General And Trauma Surgeon with subspecialty training in Interventional Nutrition and Wound Healing. He currently serves as the Medical Director of the Wound Healing Collaborative at Unity Point Health System, Central Iowa. Dr. Zagoren's areas of expertise include health education in health policy and bio-ethics.
Des Moines Area Religious Council

1435 Mulberry Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

 

515-277-6969
Whole Grains
cereal and rice
 
Community Calendar
September 13-26

September 17

September 19

September 21

September 25-27


September 26

October 8


October 11

October 13


October 17


October 20
DMARC Fall Delegate Assembly

October 25

November 7

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.
Community Announcements
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 materials by individuals or organizations. We gladly promote events and programs from partners that are connected to our mission, and related to the topic of hunger, poverty, interfaith relations, religious education or the arts. 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.
Three Des Moines Events to Mark Visit of Pope Francis to United States
Three separate events have been planned for next week in the Des Moines area to mark the visit of Pope Francis to the United States.

Prayer Vigil
Wednesday, September 23, 6:30 p.m.
Holy Trinity Church
2929 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines
sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines
and Iowa Interfaith Power & Light 

Live Watch Party
watch Pope Francis address Congress
Thursday, September 24, 8:00 a.m.
Immanuel United Methodist Church
2900 49th Street, Des Moines
hosted by the Des Moines Interfaith Green Coalition

Rebroadcast Party
watch Pope Francis address Congress
Thursday, September 24, 6:30 p.m.
St. Pius X Catholic Church
3663 66th Street, Urbandale
hosted by the St. Pius Social Justice Committee
Coming to Tifereth Israel Synagogue this fall...
A learning experience for the mind, heart, and soul
  • Looking to convert to Judaism?
  • Born Jewish and want to know more?
  • Sharing your life with a Jew and want to crack the code?
  • Jew-Curious?
The Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University is the nation's pre-eminent center for welcoming and empowering those who seek to convert to Judaism and all others who wish to learn more and find a home in the Jewish community. 
 
Our interactive, exciting courses explore Jewish history, practice, texts, and culture and are designed for anyone who seeks to live a richer Jewish life, including those contemplating conversion to Judaism.
 
We believe that Judaism has the power to transform lives, offer meaning, create community, and maybe even help save the world. Join us for an in-depth introduction to Judaism that will open your mind, heart, and soul.
 
Your journey begins here.
 
Contact Rabbi Steven Edelman-Blank at 515-255-1137 or rabbiedelman-blank@tifereth.org for more information.
Free Hymnals and Choir Robes
Covenant Christian Church in Urbandale is looking to donate 20 Methodist hymnals (1989) and 26 choir robes. If your congregation is interested, please contact Donna Rusk at 515-277-7574.
Free Hymnals
200+ copies of The New Church Hymnal (Copyright 1976 by Lexicon Music) are seeking a new home! Available free from Capitol Hill Christian Church, 3322 E. 25th Street, Des Moines, IA 50317. Call Pastor Candice Brown, 515-266-6283, if interested.
Free Firewood for Those in Need
Is firewood your primary or secondary form of heat for your home? Do you live within 30 miles of Waukee?

We may be able to help you with your supply! Free firewood could be delivered to your home (as available).

For more information, call 515-978-1456 or email firewoodhelper@gmail.com.
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 2014, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted more than 41,000 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.
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 materials by individuals or organizations. We gladly promote events and programs from partners that are connected to our mission, and related to the topic of hunger, poverty, interfaith relations, religious education or the arts. 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.