The Des Moines Area Hunger Hike provides free food to many hungry people through established non-profit agencies. Allocations are made for food service programs, in varying amounts, depending on their applications and our receipts in a given year. As funds are available, emergency grants are also made. Exact distribution amounts are always available by calling the Hunger Hike treasurer at 515-279-1106. Following are recent recipients of Hunger Hike monies. Websites are given here so you may check for information about the services each offers.
Beacon of Life
This residential center helps women recently released from prison through job training, education, case management and medical care. Milk, fresh fruit and vegetables not available through the Food Bank are purchased for their meals.
Bidwell Riverside Center
Money is used for basic food needs of clients ineligible for food from other sources – those traveling through, the newly-homeless, infant formula needs, special dietary requirements or other emergency situations of families.
Central Iowa Shelter & Services
Two of every three persons served by CISS are homeless or near homeless. Hunger Hike grant supplements meals and food donations provided by congregations and other groups. Persons of all ages are served at meal sites in neighborhoods where poverty rate exceeds 25%.
Children & Family Urban Ministries
Milk and food are purchased for before-and-after school programs, a variety of summer programs, and the Supper Club, the latter serving an average of 110 guests six days a week in an inner-city neighborhood.
The Connection Café
An ecumenical effort of four downtown churches: St. Ambrose Catholic, St. John’s Lutheran, St. Paul’s Episcopal and First United Methodist. Fruit, potato chips, and meat, cheese and bread for sandwiches is purchased for the 3-5 days per month that food and serving are not provided by groups. Approximately 28,000 noon meals were given out in 2007 to Des Moines downtown needy.
Church World Service
Designated for areas impoverished by war and/or natural disasters. 2006 funds went to Rwanda to provide food for orphans and other vulnerable children. 2007 aid went to the Kenya School Safe Zone for fresh vegetables, rice and dry beans. The children grow some of their own food. Cattle and poultry are also raised for food purposes. In other years Hunger Hike money has been sent to Sierra Leone, southeastern U.S. for Hurricane Katrina victims, etc.
Des Moines Garden Project
Hunger Hike funds provide an estimated 750 elderly, low-income and/or handicapped families receive gift certificates toward purchase of seeds and/or edible plants for growing food in their own or community gardens through this program coordinated by the city’s Community Development Department. Garden tillage is provided and needed tools are made available.DMARC Emergency Food Pantry
The Des Moines Area Religious Council’s Food Pantry provides food for needy families through eight food pantry sites. In 2007, 1,004,322 food items were given to 9,343 families during the year. Money gifts are used for wholesale purchases to augment actual food donations.
Family Violence Center (Children & Families of Iowa)
Provides free meals and snacks to families who are victims of domestic violence while they are in shelter or transitional housing.
Hansen House of Hospitality
Part of the Criminal Justice Ministries program, this half-way house for men transitioning from incarceration back into society packs sack lunches for them to take to their jobs, as well as the meals provided at the residence. Hike dollars purchase fruit, vegetables and some meat, not otherwise available through food programs.
Harbor of Hope
Like other not-for-profit agencies, major food purchases are made from the Food Bank of Central Iowa and from wholesalers, but additional funds are needed for a basic diet. Serving persons just coming out of a d
rug treatment program, transitional residence for 23 men only is provided for up to two years.
Heifer International
Approximately 5% of each year’s Hunger Hike receipts go to HI, a community development model that assists families in the United States and all over the world with gifts of animals, training, and “passing on the gift.” A cow, sheep, rabbits, chickens, even bees become the seed stock for food production and income, with the increase passed on to other families.
Hope Ministries
Contributions are used to help provide meals to over a hundred men, women and children each day who are homeless, near-homeless and hungry.
Iowa-Yucatan Partners of the Americas
This organization was the originator (in 1968-69) of the Hunger Hike. The 2008 grant was used for meals for low-income pregnant women in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico through The institution also offers training for proper nutrition of mother and child. Some of the women live on the streets.
Meals on Wheels (Wesley Community Services)
Annually serves nearly 2000 individuals in the Greater Des Moines area with hot, nutritious noon meals in their homes, while providing socialization and safety checks for the housebound and elderly.
New Directions Shelter (Hawthorn Hill Ministries)
Emergency housing and meals are served to homeless mothers and children as they are helped to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Funding supplements approximately 5,000 family meals and snacks.
New Horizons Adult Day Center
Located in Ankeny, approximately 24 clients per day rely on New Horizons for therapeutic activities, transportation, a hot noon meal and two snacks. 60% of those served are on some kind of assistance program. Hunger Hike money provides the snacks, a boost to nutritional needs.
RRACAP Polk County Center
The Red Rock Area Community Action Program uses money to purchase frozen meats and vegetables from the Food Bank, special dietary needs, and to supplement other purchases and donations for some 150 households each month.
Seed Programs, Inc.
Ships seeds to more than 60 countries on five continents so poor and hungry people may grown vegetables rich in the vitamins and minerals often missing in their diets. Seeds and plants are obtained at minimal cost; donations pay for transportation.
St. Mary’s Outreach Center (Catholic Charities of DM)
Helps meet special dietary needs not usually provided by other food programs. Dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables purchased with these funds are distributed among some of the 12,000 families the Center serves.
