DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Pork Producers Association joined the fight against food insecurity in Iowa, donating nearly 15,000 servings of pork to Des Moines food banks on Friday.
The Des Moines Area Religious Council, or DMARC, served record numbers of people last summer — and their all-time record was broken again last month, highlighting record high food need in and around Des Moines.
"November blew all of our records out of the water," DMARC CEO Matt Unger said.
Over the course of the month, DMARC provided food assistance to more than 30,000 people, beating out their August record of 27,142 served.
The organization said the holiday season always brings increased demand for Des Moines area food pantries.
But when asked about the recent spike, Unger spoke of rising food costs, which also coincides with the rising unemployment rate in Iowa.
"We're really kind of at an emergency state here where we are beyond something that's sustainable for charitable response," Unger said.
Just a few miles north, the Food Bank of Iowa is on the same page.
"This last month, November, we saw another record distribution month in our 40-year history," said Michelle Book, CEO of the Iowa Food Bank. "We distributed 2.15 million pounds of food across our geographic service area.”
One of the hardest food items to come by is meat. After all, it’s typically the most expensive component of a meal.
The large donation made by the Iowa Pork Producer Association Friday will allow more of those in need to take home meat for their families.
With the meat helping create over 7,000 additional meals, both pantries were eager for the donation as they continue to navigate the busy December ahead.
Both Unger and Book agree that the increased demand likely won't let up in the new year.
“This is not just a holiday issue, this is going to persist for a while and we're all going to need to come together and help support food banks, food pantries, the whole system," Unger told Local 5.
DMARC and the Food Bank of Iowa prefer monetary donations, as they are able to buy food in bulk at a much lower cost. Volunteers are also greatly needed during this time. For more information on volunteering, check out the DMARC and Food Bank of Iowa websites.