The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) is seeing a spike in demand at its food pantries and there are no signs it will stop anytime soon, its CEO Matt Unger told Axios.

State of play: Reduced benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also referred to as food stamps, coupled with inflated fuel and grocery costs are resulting in droves of people seeking help from local food banks, Unger said.

• SNAP benefits were bolstered by the federal government during the pandemic, but Iowa chose to return to its normal levels in April, resulting in at least $95 a month less for more than 150,000 Iowa families.

By the numbers: Following the end of the additional SNAP benefits, DMARC's number of food bank recipients increased by 42% in April in comparison to last year, he said.

• There was a 60% increase in May. June is on pace for a 75% increase in comparison to last year.
• Its single busiest day in the last two years was June 2, where 1,345 people were helped.
• In April and May, more than 1,000 people received help for the first time.

What they're saying: Recipient numbers more closely resemble demand in the month of November, which is historically the busiest month for food banks. But families are now having to work with less.

• "Our dollars don't stretch as far as they used to," Unger said.

The bottom line: Giving people food doesn't solve food insecurity, Unger said.

• The bigger issue is addressing why people are being driven to food banks and addressing problems like inflation and wage levels.

How to help: You can volunteer for DMARC, donate food or give money here.

Share this story: Des Moines food bank sees spike in demand after SNAP benefits reduced

👋 Linh here. And here's the story of how my life got flipped, turned upside down.

Okay, so not quite.

• Thankfully, our soapbox car stayed upright during our grand venture down East Walnut Street for the Red Bull Soapbox derby last weekend.

Not so great: It did buckle under the pressure of Red Bull's sneaky ramps and bumps and basically fell apart in the middle of the race.

Yes, but: We had a ton of fun on our journey building, testing and racing our Team Axios soapbox.

• We were going a whopping 24 miles per hour! And we had no scrapes or breaks, so really, who are the real winners here?

What's next: Red Bull hinted that they're looking at coming back next year. So start brainstorming your car now.

🧑‍⚖️ What happens now? Abortion rights advocates say an Iowa Supreme Court ruling issued on Friday has resulted in the enactment of 24-hour waiting periods for abortions. (Des Moines Register)

🏠 Valley West Inn in West Des Moines could be converted into supportive housing. (Business Record)

👻 Adventureland is adding some new scary features this fall during its "Phantom Fright Fest." (WHO-13)

🫠 Iowa summer camps are struggling with worker shortages, resulting in fewer kids being able to join in the summer fun. (KCCI)

🚨 A woman who fired a gun inside a Des Moines Hy-Vee store said she acted in self-defense after she was “blindsided” by an unprovoked attack. (KCCI)

Thanks to Laura Knispel for the great pun!

We're in the middle of Art Week Des Moines, which leads up to the Des Moines Arts Festival this weekend.

For the first time, Art Week is celebrating in different neighborhoods every day, giving local businesses and residents their time to shine, while collaborating with local artists.

Tuesday: Downtown

• Join an interactive mural installation at the Local Bites food court or play some creative putt-putt at Mainframe Studios.

Wednesday: Columbus Park

• Design an Art Week t-shirt at Columbus Park and go see a giant ball of yarn at Tumea & Sons.

Thursday: Valley Junction

• Celebrate the end of Art Week with the "Big Head" parade at 5pm.

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