Organizations Fighting Hunger

Description:

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.The Kiwanis Club of Des Moines is part of the Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis District, which is made up of 170 clubs. There are 16 Kiwanis clubs in the metro-Des Moines area.

The Kiwanis Club of Des Moines is actively involved in the NE-IA district wide goal to alleviate childhood hunger. The Kiwanis activities focused on childhood hunger in Des Moines include three service projects: 

1. DMARC's (Des Moines Area Religious Council) Red Barrel Program

2. The Food Bank of Iowa's BackPack Program

3. Assisting Iowa State University Extension's slow cooker and fresh veggie classes

More information on each of these service projects can be found on the NE-IA Kiwanis District's website. (link: http://www.ne-ia.kiwanisone.org/Page/22371)

The Kiwanis Club of Des Moines also supports and provides the following resources: 

1. Hunger in the Heartland: A Resource Guide for Alleviating Hunger in Your Community, No Matter Where You Live, by Debra Landwehr Engle and Rachel Vogel Quinn and its 30-minute DVD companion 

2. A Garden for Every School, a program provided by Keep Iowa Beautiful

3. A speakers bureau for those in the metro-Des Moines area that offers programming on various subjects related to childhood hunger and what community members can do to help

People interested in learning more about these three resources can contact Rev. Diana Sickles, dsickles4@gmail.com.

A new program initiative that is in its infancy is based on Kiwanis International's ongoing program, Young Children: Priority One and Roger Thurow's book The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children--and the World. The goal of this initiative is to build awareness about the critical importance of adequate and good nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life in brain development. We are in the process of discovering how Kiwanis can be help improve the health and well-being of mothers and their new babies. 

How to Help:
Individuals can join in the work of Kiwanis by becoming a member of their local Kiwanis club and joining in their community service work. Individuals, groups and organizations that would like more information about contributing towards Kiwanis's mission through partnerships should contact Mr. Bob Dunaway at bobdunaway@gmail.com. 

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