Opportunities From: United Way of Central Iowa

Group Sign Up: Groups can email Missy Reams at missy@familiesforward.org to schedule. For group of 4 or more, you can choose your date and time. We are pretty flexible as long as another group isn't already signed up.

Volunteers are needed to organize our donation area and do light cleaning in our shared living spaces (living room, dining room, and kitchen). ​Volunteers would be organizing clothing, personals/toiletries, feminine hygiene products, diapers, cleaning products, school supplies, food items, and much more. We provide basic necessities every month for up to the 77 families staying in New Directions Shelter, The Home Connection, and our other housing programs.​

​This is a great project for a single person to work on, or you can sign up to bring a group (up to 10 people at a time). Volunteers should be 10 and older. Youth 14 years of age and younger should have an adult on site with them while volunteering. 

Questions? Sign up to receive more information or contact Missy Reams at missy@familiesforward.org or by phone at 515-989-8404.

About volunteering: A volunteer orientation is provided when you first arrive to help, including an overview about poverty in the Des Moines metro. We provide a unique cultural and economically diverse volunteer experience. 

Information for First-time Volunteers: Click here for information about parking, how to check in when you arrive, and much more. 

Note: This program does not accept court-ordered community service, but our food pantry does. 

About Families Forward:  Families Forward (previously Bidwell Riverside Center and Hawthorn Hill) has four main programs: Bidwell Pantry, Child Development Center, New Directions Shelter (emergency housing), and The Home Connection (long-term housing). For over 100 years, our mission has been to provide compassionate, life-changing assistance to families and their path to self-sufficiency.​

Volunteers are needed to help stock the pantry on Tuesday nights, Thursday nights, and some Saturdays. Volunteers will help in the following ways:

Clothing Pantry: Sorting, hanging, and organizing clothing and household donations. Grocery Aisles: Stocking and facing grocery items.

Volunteers should be 5 years of age or older to volunteer. Youth 12 years of age and younger should have an adult on site with them while volunteering. 

Note: Tuesday nights will be weekly again starting 10/14/25.

Questions: Contact Missy Reams at missy@familiesforward.org or by phone at 515-989-8404.

About Bidwell Pantry: At the Bidwell Pantry, we provide basic necessities to families in need. Serving up to 6,700 individuals per month, the Bidwell Pantry provides hope to families and helps them bridge the gap, so that they can spend their hard earned money on other necessities besides food and clothing.

About volunteering: A volunteer orientation is provided when you first arrive to help, including an overview about poverty in the Des Moines metro. We provide a unique cultural and economically diverse volunteer experience.

Information for First-time Volunteers: Click here for information about parking, how to check in when you arrive, and much more. 

About Families Forward: Families Forward (previously Bidwell Riverside Center and Hawthorn Hill) has four main programs: Bidwell Pantry, Child Development Center, New Directions Shelter (emergency housing), and The Home Connection (long-term housing). For over 100 years, our mission has been to provide compassionate, life-changing assistance to families and their path to self-sufficiency.

Volunteers are needed to help families get food, clothing and other basic necessities at the Families Forward Bidwell Pantry. Training is provided when a volunteer first arrives.       

Individual Signup: To sign up individually or up to 3 people, click here. Group Signup: To sign up a group of 4 or more, please email Missy at missy@familiesforward.org.

Volunteers help in the following way each day:   

Food Pantry Guide: Guiding families through their grocery “shopping” experience. Clothing Pantry: Sorting, hanging, and organizing clothing and household donations. If we are caught up with helping families get groceries, volunteers will help stock the grocery aisles.

Volunteers needed Monday through Friday (day time and evening shifts) and some Saturdays.  

Volunteers should be 5 years of age or older to volunteer. Youth 12 years of age and younger should have an adult on site with them while volunteering. 

Questions: Contact Missy Reams at missy@familiesforward.org or by phone at 515-989-8404 or by text at 515-346-8895.

About Families Forward Bidwell Pantry: At the Families Forward Bidwell Pantry, we provide basic necessities to families in need. Help families “shop” through our free building for food, personal care items, clothing, and household items. Serving 6,000 - 9,000 individuals per month, our pantry provides hope to families and helps them bridge the gap, so that they can spend their hard earned money on other necessities besides food and clothing.

About volunteering: A volunteer orientation is provided when you first arrive to help, including an overview about poverty in the Des Moines metro. We provide a unique cultural and economically diverse volunteer experience.

Information for First-time Volunteers: Click here for information about parking, how to check in when you arrive, and much more. 

About Families Forward: Families Forward (previously Bidwell Riverside Center and Hawthorn Hill) has four main programs: Bidwell Pantry, Child Development Center, New Directions Shelter (emergency housing), and The Home Connection (long-term housing). For over 100 years, our mission has been to provide compassionate, life-changing assistance to families and their path to self-sufficiency.

The Ambassadors Committee is a welcoming space for individuals passionate about DMARC’s mission to learn, serve, and share. Members deepen their understanding of hunger and poverty in Central Iowa, participate in service learning, and become active advocates, all while making meaningful connections with one another and supporting DMARC’s mission via fundraising projects and volunteerism.

Activities include:

Bi-monthly meetings to plan quarterly ambassador meetups and activitiesVolunteer projects (food sorting, drives, meal kit packing)Behind-the-scenes tours and learning sessions Speaking engagements or tabling at events (optional) Organizing fundraising event(s) to support DMARC’s mission.

Commitment: Every other month for 1.5-2 hours, with optional additional engagement.

Ideal for: New or long-time supporters, young professionals, civic-minded individuals, or anyone looking to get more involved with hands-on experiences!

Our Mission

Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives.

Our Vision

Safe homes and communities for everyone.

Experience. Expertise.

For 30 years, we have been dedicated to helping low-income homeowners with critical home repairs and modifications for accessibility. We work every day to rebuild homes, striving to make them safe and healthy for local families.

No cost, ever to the family.

On average, our homeowners live at or below the poverty level and are forced to choose between food, medicine and shelter needs. We provide these critical home repairs at no cost to qualified homeowners. Rebuilding Together is often the last resort to preserving their homeownership – their only personal asset.

Our partner sponsors provide funds and/or an optional volunteer day to provide much needed repairs to homes. Your company or group can sign up today and we will match your team with a family in need!

Thanks to the generosity of our partners, our network moves the needle on addressing the low-income families living in unsafe and unhealthy homes across our community. Our efforts to rebuild lives and communities would not be possible without their continued support.

Partner Sponsor benefits are numerous:

Immediate positive impact on our communities in one day. Demonstrating your organization’s commitment to community service and quality of life in the greater Des Moines area. Great employee team-building and community leadership opportunity. A wide variety of projects to match your group size and skill level. Your employee team can manage the project or we will provide a project manager. Favorable publicity: media, press releases, logo placement, news articles, social media, photos, signage & etc. Preserving and improving Des Moines’ aging housing stock while helping a family in need. Alliance with nationally respected Rebuilding Together organization (160+ affiliates nationwide). Leveraged investment with every dollar resulting in four times the donation in market value through volunteer labor and in-kind donations.

Hygiene poverty can reduce student attendance

Hygiene Drive Guide

Every child deserves access to hygiene supplies. Hygiene poverty is defined as an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.  While the root of hygiene poverty is the lack of access to basic toiletries, its effects are made much worse by  “hygiene shaming”. If the shame a child feels because they can’t afford to be clean is not bad enough, the shame and distress piled on top by insensitive peers can have a terrible impact, not just on their ability to learn but on their entire mental wellbeing. Hardships can include:

Inability to take a shower with shampoo, conditioner, and soap Using an old toothbrush or not having toothpaste Cleaning clothes less often (or with water only) due to lack of laundry detergent Fear of leaving home during your period because your makeshift solutions leak and could embarrass you

 There is a never-ending need for these supplies, so set a goal that seems reasonable for your team.

Shampoo Conditioner Soap Toothbrushes Toothpaste Deodorant Laundry detergent Hair products Feminine hygiene products Floss Face wash/acne cream

 

Contact Jen Stadler at 515-242-8394 or jennifer.stalder@dmschools.org for more information or to plan your delivery. 

Hygiene poverty can reduce student attendance

Hygiene Drive Guide

Every child deserves access to hygiene supplies. Hygiene poverty is defined as an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.  While the root of hygiene poverty is the lack of access to basic toiletries, its effects are made much worse by  “hygiene shaming”. If the shame a child feels because they can’t afford to be clean is not bad enough, the shame and distress piled on top by insensitive peers can have a terrible impact, not just on their ability to learn but on their entire mental wellbeing. Hardships can include:

Inability to take a shower with shampoo, conditioner, and soap Using an old toothbrush or not having toothpaste Cleaning clothes less often (or with water only) due to lack of laundry detergent Fear of leaving home during your period because your makeshift solutions leak and could embarrass you

 There is a never-ending need for these supplies, so set a goal that seems reasonable for your team.

Shampoo Conditioner Soap Toothbrushes Toothpaste Deodorant Laundry detergent Hair products Feminine hygiene products Floss Face wash/acne cream

Hygiene poverty can reduce student attendance

Hygiene Drive Guide

Every child deserves access to hygiene supplies. Hygiene poverty is defined as an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.  While the root of hygiene poverty is the lack of access to basic toiletries, its effects are made much worse by  “hygiene shaming”. If the shame a child feels because they can’t afford to be clean is not bad enough, the shame and distress piled on top by insensitive peers can have a terrible impact, not just on their ability to learn but on their entire mental wellbeing. Hardships can include:

Inability to take a shower with shampoo, conditioner, and soap Using an old toothbrush or not having toothpaste Cleaning clothes less often (or with water only) due to lack of laundry detergent Fear of leaving home during your period because your makeshift solutions leak and could embarrass you

 There is a never-ending need for these supplies, so set a goal that seems reasonable for your team.

Shampoo Conditioner Soap Toothbrushes Toothpaste Deodorant Laundry detergent Hair products Feminine hygiene products Floss Face wash/acne cream

Hygiene poverty can reduce student attendance

Hygiene Drive Guide

Every child deserves access to hygiene supplies. Hygiene poverty is defined as an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.  While the root of hygiene poverty is the lack of access to basic toiletries, its effects are made much worse by  “hygiene shaming”. If the shame a child feels because they can’t afford to be clean is not bad enough, the shame and distress piled on top by insensitive peers can have a terrible impact, not just on their ability to learn but on their entire mental wellbeing. Hardships can include:

Inability to take a shower with shampoo, conditioner, and soap Using an old toothbrush or not having toothpaste Cleaning clothes less often (or with water only) due to lack of laundry detergent Fear of leaving home during your period because your makeshift solutions leak and could embarrass you

 There is a never-ending need for these supplies, so set a goal that seems reasonable for your team.

Shampoo Conditioner Soap Toothbrushes Toothpaste Deodorant Laundry detergent Hair products Feminine hygiene products Floss Face wash/acne cream

 Welcoming a new baby requires a lot of gear, and many moms simply can’t afford these basic items.

You can help by hosting a Stork’s Nest Baby Shower!

Invite friends from work or church or the neighborhood - gifts will go directly to pregnant women in Polk County who live on an income less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit. You plan the party, and we’ll provide information about what these moms need most. Start your guest list today!