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Food Pantries

DMACC Food Pantry Resources

Food pantries are a vital resource for students at DMACC, offering free, nutritious food to those facing food insecurity. With many students balancing the costs of tuition, housing, and other essentials, access to healthy meals can be a challenge. DMACC’s food pantries provide essential groceries to help students focus on their studies without worrying about their next meal. Supported by donations and volunteers, these pantries create a strong sense of community, ensuring that no student has to go hungry while pursuing their education.

Locations & Contacts

We know it’s hard to concentrate if you’re hungry or stressed about stretching your budget to cover food and living expenses.

That’s why DMACC established Pamela’s Food Pantry in Ankeny, offering students access to free food.

The pantry, exclusively for DMACC students, offers a variety of healthy, non-perishable food items including snacks, single-serve foods, and simple meals to take home and prepare.

Pamela’s Food Pantry was established in 2004 by DMACC staff member Pamela Parker, who observed how hunger impacted the success of students. It serves approximately 500 students per year and is supported by community partners.

Pamela’s Food Pantry locations on the Ankeny Campus:​

  • Building 5 – dry goods and fruit inside the student services area.
  • Building 6 – dry goods and fruit outside the Disability Services Office and refrigerated food in the library hallway next to the vending machines.
  • Pamela's Pantry Locations Map

Additional Non-DMACC Resources:

Sign Up for Alerts

DMACC students can sign up to receive alerts when food is available in the fridge. Click here to enter your DMACC Student ID to sign up. You will need to sign up each semester you are enrolled in a DMACC class, look out for reminders at the start of term in the Student Daily newsletter.

Contact Us

Contact us at pamelaspantry@dmacc.edu if you have questions.

We know it’s hard to concentrate if you’re hungry or stressed about stretching your budget to cover food and living expenses.

That’s why DMACC Boone has partnered with the Food Bank of Iowa to offer students a pantry stocked with free food in Room 170. During Fall and Spring semesters, the pantry is open for shopping:

  • Tuesdays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
  • Thursdays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

You can also schedule an appointment to shop. Just email boonepantry@dmacc.edu​ or call Erin Neumann at 515-433-5037 to schedule your visit.

During the summer, please schedule an appointment for shopping.

Fill your grocery bags with a variety of shelf-stable foods, dairy products, produce, frozen meat, and eggs.

The pantry is open to ALL members of the DMACC community, including current and incoming students, employees, and alumni from all DMACC campuses and attendance centers. There are no income requirements, so use our pantry to help your grocery budget go further.

Carroll Campus is proud to offer a free student-focused food pantry, located in cabinets in the vending area next to Knott Commons.

The pantry includes non-perishable food items, quick meals for when you’re on campus, and personal care items.

For questions or help utilizing the pantry, please contact Kristina Whitver-Soyer at kmwhitversoyer@dmacc.edu

Urban Campus Community Fridge & Pantry

DMACC Des Moines/Urban Campus is proud to offer a Community Fridge and Pantry to support our students.

  • The Community Fridge, located in Building 1 near the library in the student kitchenette, is stocked with a variety of meals, fresh fruit, and vegetables (seasonal availability).
  • The Dry Goods Pantry, also located near the fridge, provides shelf-stable food items made possible through generous community donations.
  • An additional Upstairs Dry Goods Pantry is available for students to utilize once per month, supported through a grant from Prairie Meadows.

These resources are free for currently enrolled students.

For questions or help utilizing the Upstairs Dry Goods Pantry, please contact: Jackie Rightmire at jlrightmire@dmacc.edu or stop by Bldg. 1, Room 102.

Newton Campus is proud to offer a free food pantry designed to support your success inside and outside the classroom.

The food pantry is located in the Library/Lounge in Room 113 on the first floor.

The pantry includes many easy prep meals and shelf-stable items such as soups, macaroni and cheese, and canned meats. You can also find toiletries in the pantry. In partnership with the Baking Department and the conference center, fresh foods and frozen dinners will be added to the freezer and fridge in the pantry area.

For questions or help utilizing the pantry, please contact:
Kara Dirksen at kbdirksen@dmacc.edu
Katie Terlouw at katerlouw@dmacc.edu
Bill Peters at wspeters@dmacc.edu

The West Campus offers a free food pantry to support our students. We offer a variety of efficient, shelf-stable meals that could be prepared on campus or at home.

The food pantry is located in a cabinet by the elevator on the first floor.

Students can now access the locked pantry by visiting a Student Services staff member or the front desk between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. To use this resource, students must provide their student ID number and proof of current enrollment. Access is limited to once per month, with a maximum of 10 items per visit.

For questions or help utilizing the pantry, please contact: Lindsey Hays at lehays@dmacc.edu