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November is typically one of the busiest times of the year for the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, and this November is no different. As more members of our community face food insecurity and most of our clients continue to wait for their SNAP benefits, we remain committed to serving everyone who comes to us with dignity and grace.
In the first week of November 2024, we distributed an average of 612 bags of food per day. This month, demand has continued to rise with our busiest day on record - Monday, November 3, 2025 - when we distributed 660 bags of food. These growing numbers remind us how great the need is as we head into the holidays and how vital it is that we continue working together to serve our neighbors in need.
We cannot meet this growing need alone. You can help us bridge the gap!
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2025 Giving Thanksgiving
Catholic Charities Food Pantry is preparing for our annual Giving Thanksgiving event coming up Wednesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 20. During these two days, hundreds of turkeys and other holiday meats will be given out to food pantry clients to help them celebrate the holidays. In 2024, we were able to give out a record 660 holiday meals, a 14 percent increase from 2023. With the growing number of food pantry clients, we are expecting to impact even more individuals this year. You can help us make this event even more of a success! While we know it is fun to buy more canned vegetables on your next trip to the store and drop it off for us, our wholesalers are able to provide us with potatoes and green beans far cheaper than you can get them at your local grocery store.
Please consider making a financial gift instead to help us feed our hungry neighbors this holiday!
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Catholic Charities Receives $20,000 Grant from Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows awarded Catholic Charities a Community Betterment Grant totaling $20,000 to help fund needed structural renovations at the Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter. Grant funding was used to add tile to the basement floor for better drainage and to brace the basement walls so the shelter remains structurally sound.
November is Homelessness Awareness Month. Nationally, homelessness has been on the rise since 2017, with the percentage of unsheltered people steadily increasing. The Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter serves as the largest family-oriented shelter in the Greater Des Moines Metro. The shelter provides guests with the resources, skills and tools needed to be successful while in an uplifting and supportive environment.
Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.
| | Catholic Charities Board DOUBLING Your Gift This Giving Tuesday! | | |
Your gift will be DOUBLED! Thanks to the generosity of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors, every gift made through Giving Tuesday – up to $11,000 – will be matched, instantly DOUBLING your impact!
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving and unity that will take place this year on Tuesday, December 2. This day is designed to drive an influx of radical generosity, citizen engagement, corporate and individual philanthropy, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.
A little help goes a long way!
Most of us take for granted the everyday comforts that make us feel safe and cared for. But for the people we serve, essentials like food, shelter, and personal care items can often be out of reach. Your gift this Giving Tuesday helps meet those needs and reminds every person we serve that they matter.
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Adopt a Family this Christmas
Help make the holidays even brighter for our families being served through the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program! You can spread joy by donating thoughtful, wrapped gifts that will be delivered just in time for Christmas!
How to get started:
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Fill out a short interest form to be matched with a family.
- Shop your family’s wish list.
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Return wrapped gifts by
December 15.
Your generosity helps ensure our clients have a very merry Christmas.
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Giving the Gift of Warmth
At the end of October, the Catholic Charities Community Resource Coordination team hosted a clothing giveaway at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry to fully deplete our inventory of formerly donated items. Clients were able to pick out clothing and winter coats, free of charge, just in time for the winter months. We’re especially grateful to our volunteers who helped ensure everyone found what they needed!
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Catholic Charities on the Radio
Recently, Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program Manager, Nelcy Vargas, was on The Catholic Morning Show on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network to discuss our program and what we do for the community. We thank Iowa Catholic Radio for the opportunity to highlight our
life-changing programs and ways to get involved.
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Support Catholic Charities This Holiday Season
Vend Joy this holiday season with a Light The World Giving Machine! The Giving Machine is a customized vending machine that allows the public to donate necessary products and services to those in need, locally and worldwide. This year, Catholic Charities is one of the participating charities. One hundred percent of every donation is given to Catholic Charities to purchase and deliver the donated items.
You can find the Giving Machine at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, IA, from November 20 to December 9.
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End of Year Giving and Tax Benefits for Donors | |
You may have heard about the changes occurring to the tax laws, but perhaps you haven’t had an opportunity to dive into how it might affect you. Here are a couple of the significant changes that may impact your giving strategies:
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New Universal Charitable Deduction: A new, permanent universal charitable deduction will be available starting in 2026. This allows taxpayers who take the standard deduction to deduct their charitable gifts as well, up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly.
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Change for Itemizers (AGI Floor): For taxpayers who itemize their deductions, please be aware that starting in 2026, charitable contributions are deductible only to the extent total qualified gifts exceed 0.5% of that taxpayer's adjusted gross income, or AGI. To illustrate, a taxpayer with an AGI of $200,000 would only be able to deduct qualified gifts that exceed $1,000.
Key Giving Strategies to Discuss with Your Advisor
Given these changes, this is an excellent time to plan your philanthropy to ensure your generosity has the greatest possible impact. We recommend discussing the following strategies with your advisor:
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Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): For donors aged 70½ or older, a QCD remains one of the most tax-efficient ways to give. It allows you to donate directly from your IRA (up to $108,000 per person in 2025) to a qualified charity, like Catholic Charities. These distributions are not counted as taxable income and may fully or partially satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
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"Bunching" Gifts with a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): To maximize your deduction before the new AGI floor takes effect, you might consider "bunching" several years' worth of charitable giving into 2025. By making a larger contribution to a Donor-Advised Fund this year, you can take the full tax deduction under the current rules. You can then recommend grants from your DAF to Catholic Charities and other charities you support over the next several years. Here’s how that could look:
- This year, you contribute, for example, several years’ worth of your typical giving to a DAF (say, $10,000 instead of $2,500 annually).
- You claim the full $10,000 charitable deduction this year, potentially allowing you to itemize deductions and lower your taxable income.
- Then, in Years 2–4, you recommend grants from your DAF to your favorite charities on your usual annual schedule — maintaining your support even in years when you take the standard deduction. This way, you align your tax strategy with your philanthropic goals without changing your pattern of giving to the organizations you care about most.
Your partnership is vital to our mission, and we are deeply grateful for your support.
While Catholic Charities does not provide tax or legal advice, we are always happy to work with you and your advisors to help you achieve your philanthropic goals.
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Barbara Graham, LISW, EMDR
We are excited to share that Barbara Graham, LISW, EMDR, has joined the Catholic Charities team as our new Mental Health Clinical Supervisor. Barbara will play a pivotal role within the Catholic Charities Counseling Program. She is excited to introduce a new, more integrated model of service that is welcoming, empowering and rooted in Christ. Barbara has been a mental health clinician for close to 40 years and has a passion for serving others.
In her spare time, you can find Barbara spending time with her family, enjoying fun and adventure and doing anything that involves the sun or the water. She and her husband are also currently a part of the diaconate program for the Diocese of Des Moines.
Barbara is excited to be here at Catholic Charities and we are grateful to have her on our team.
Welcome Barbara!
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We Are Hiring!
Are you passionate about connecting generosity with impact? Are you ready to help grow the support that fuels our
life-changing programs?
Catholic Charities is searching for a Development Manager who can turn compassion into action through meaningful connections and creative fundraising.
In this role, you’ll have a chance to:
- Connect individuals to our mission
- Strengthen our fundraising efforts
- Maintain a strong donor database
This isn’t just a job, it’s a calling to make a difference every day. Apply today and let your passion meet purpose!
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Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Wolves
Sunday, January 18, 2026 | 3 p.m.
Celebrate Catholic Charities while enjoying an evening of basketball with the Iowa Wolves! When you purchase a ticket, $5 goes back to support the vital work being done at Catholic Charities!
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Fall Program Needs
Fall is the perfect time to give back! If you or your organization is looking for a way to help others in the community, Catholic Charities has you covered! To make it easy, we’ve created a list of our programs’ most needed items.
Want to make an even greater impact?
Consider hosting your own "mini drive" with friends, family, coworkers, or your parish to benefit individuals and families here in our community.
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SAVE THE DATE!
2026 Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 6 p.m.
Glen Oaks Country Club
1401 Glen Oaks Dr, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Join us for our annual fundraiser, Shamrocks and Shenanigans, on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines. Prepare yourself for a unique evening of Irish fun while learning about the vital work happening at Catholic Charities! Tickets on sale NEXT WEEK!
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Keep up with us on Social Media!
Follow Catholic Charities of Des Moines on social media. Be up to date on events, news and our programs!
Like us on Facebook
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Your Support Serves Thousands in Central and Southwest Iowa
Catholic Charities' Annual Appeal is the primary funding source for Catholic Charities along with government and private grant funding.
Donors who commit to an annual gift help strengthen and empower individuals and families through some of the most difficult times in their lives. Consider an annual gift that will help all year!
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Serving those in need within the Diocese of Des Moines
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Des Moines, serves those in need within the 23 counties of the Diocese of Des Moines in southwest Iowa. Our mission to empower individuals and strengthen families applies to anyone in need in the area, regardless of demographic. Our mission is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. Our programs and services include refugee resettlement, professional counseling, food pantry, domestic violence and sexual assault shelter and services, emergency family shelter and more. We impact over 35,000 individuals each year.
Find more information about Catholic Charities here.
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