DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly 100 volunteers gathered at Redeemer Presbyterian Church to distribute supplies to food-insecure refugee and immigrant families in Des Moines.
“All of our refugees who do not yet have their green cards, which a lot of times that’s because they haven’t been in the country very long or they didn’t have the money or the resources or the know-how or weren’t able to hire a lawyer,” said Alison Hoeman, Executive Director of Des Moines Refugee Support. “Those people have all lost their SNAP benefits. And so, we’re trying to do just a little bit to, you know, at least once a month we can make sure that they are getting everybody fed.”
Des Moines Refugee Support is a non-profit organization that started in 2016, aiming to bridge gaps for refugee families and children.
“A lot of times we’re focused on the kids, so we do lots of activities for the kids, lots of things for them,” said Hoeman. “But we also know that the kids aren’t okay if their family isn’t okay. And so, one of the big things is making sure that everybody is fed.”
With only one full-time employee, Des Moines Refugee Support relies on volunteers sacrificing their time to help support their community.
“I’m a teacher and I have seen firsthand how the current climate has affected our students and, you know, getting the food for them so they can, you know, grow and learn,” said volunteer Dori Hutchison.
“Things are really heavy, and so, it’s really good to get out there in the community and show people that people care about them. Being kind doesn’t need to be political,” said volunteers Seth and Tasha Hansen.
Des Moines Refugee Support will hold another food drive on March 7. To learn more about the organization, you can visit their website.
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