This cooler would normally be stocked with food rescued from area grocery stores as well as USDA dairy and meat products, IMPACT director Anne Bacon tells Axios. Photo courtesy of IMPACT
The cooler at the Drake Area Food Pantry Wednesday was empty except for a few pieces of cake.
- That's according to an email to Polk County Supervisors from Anne Bacon, CEO of IMPACT, the group that helps run the pantry.
What's happening: There's an ongoing contract dispute between the Food Bank of Iowa and the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), the pantry's affiliate.
- Organizers have not had access to federal commodities like eggs and meat it typically makes available to low-income families for months, Bacon tells Axios.
- And food donations from some businesses are prohibited due to exclusivity agreements, she says.
State of play: As many as 10 DMARC pantries are without access to Food Bank services.
- Pantry clients still get food but not some of the core staples that were available prior to November, Bacon says.
What's next: Efforts among multiple community groups and government officials to help resolve the contract disputes are ongoing.
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