Just a few days after the close of the 2024 school year, the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network assisted 2,080 unique individuals on June 4, setting a single-day record of people assisted. This marks the first time in the nearly 50-year history of the DMARC Food Pantry Network that the number of unique individuals assisted in one day ever exceeded 2,000, driven in part by an increase in the number of minors being assisted. According to a news release, in June so far, 36.7% of those receiving food assistance have been minors (0-17 years of age). The DMARC Food Pantry Network has now seen its first-busiest and third-busiest days in history in the first two open days of the month. “The summer has always put additional burdens on families struggling with food insecurity, but this year will almost inevitably push households that are already struggling to their limits,” DMARC CEO Matt Unger said in a news release. “People are certainly being left behind when we are seeing this happen in June.” This month, a new summer nutrition program called SUN Bucks (formerly known as Summer EBT) designed to bridge the summer hunger gap, launched in 37 states nationwide. This includes neighboring states Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska, but Iowa is choosing not to participate. An estimated 245,000 children in Iowa would have received $40 a month/child to spend at grocers that accept EBT cards. “Imagine what an extra $40 a month for food could mean for your family? For those that are most in need, right now, this new program (SUN Bucks) would have been a lifeline,” Unger said. “Addressing the record levels of food insecurity we are seeing will take a concerted effort across religious communities, the business, government and nonprofit sector. The nonprofit sector and community organizations aren’t capable or designed to do it alone. We are just one piece of the puzzle.”