FORT MADISON – While volunteers work to feed the food insecure at the Fort Madison Food pantry, an enterprise is forming to also help the pets that have food insecurity.
Dan Dalstra and his wife Leslie, the pastor at the First Christian Church in Fort Madison, are standing up Roxie’s Pantry.
The name comes from Roxie the Bloodhound mascot at Fort Madison High School.
“It’s for those low income follks who have to sometimes make that tough choice between deciding do I feed myself, do I feed my pet, do I buy medication,” Dalstra said.
“Pets are such a crucial part of our lives, basically like our children. The last thing we want to have happen to anyone is for them not to be able to take care of the animal closest to them.”
The pantry will be a disbursement pantry and not the type where you can come in and choose food for your animal.
Dalstra said people will be able to fill out an application online for assistance and then the pantry volunteers will determine the amount of food needed for the animal on a monthly basis and have it ready to be picked up.
He said people who can’t afford food would take them to the shelter or even release them into the wild.
“Our primary goal is to make sure pets are fed and healthy and kept out of the shelters. People can keep their pets with them when they need them.”
Leslie Dalstra’s stepsister started one in the St. Louis area that grew beyond her means and she had to step away. Dan said that opened his eyes to the need for that kind of service locally.
“Looking for things to do and ways to help our community, that’s always been in the back of my mind. I’m a huge animal lover, pets, dogs especially are my jam. This is something our church can be involved in and this kept surfacing in my brain.”
He said there are other pet pantries in Iowa, but nothing locally, and said PAW Director Sandy Brown was supportive of the venture and said it would complement what she is doing because it could help keep more animals out of the shelter and in homes.
The program does cater to low-income families and those looking for assistance can apply online at https://www.fccfmdisciples.org/about-5.
“We’d like you to show something that you are in financial need. Nothing government specific, but something to show you are in need of food.”
The program would allocate six months of food with dispersions monthly the last Wednesday of the month at the church at 608 10th Street in Fort Madison.
Applicants can pull up to the church and get the month’s supply of food and return the next month for up to six months. Disbursement times will be set later. Dalstra said if owners are in need beyond the six months, they can talk to the pantry about options.
He said they would prefer animals to be spayed or neutered, but they will allow time for that to take place to keep the number of pets controlled. Also food will only be allocated for the number of pets that were originally signed up.
“If you can’t afford food for two dogs, why would you add two more?” he said.
Food prepared for the animals will not be brand specific, but special documented dietary needs will be considered.
“If your dog loves Purina One, we cannot differentiate food with Iams or whatever. We will take all our donations and mix them into one big thing and then bag them up from there. If your dog can only eat gluten free or handle XYZ, we will do what we can and get those specialty foods when we can,” he said.
All the food will be from donations and Dalstra is asking for people to either donate food or financially to the pantry. The pantry operates under the church's 501c3, so donations are tax deductible.
“We can use funds to buy dog food, cat food, as we need.”
Space is being rented from the church so 10% of all donations will go to the church.
He said he’s hoping that partnerships can be formed with groups at the schools like National Honor Society to help beef up the volunteer efforts. Those interested in learning more about the program can do so by emailing Dalstra at Dan@dandalstra.com or calling 915-342-3574.
“Other than children, there’s nothing like pets. And the last thing we want is someone who loves their animal and it’s their partner and best friend to have to let it go because you can’t afford to feed it,” he said.
“There’s a lot of need in our community. There’s a lot of hungry people, and in my mind, that means there are a lot of hungry pets.”
Dalstra has also planned a Pet Parade of Parks for Roxie’s Pantries with a registration at the church at 8:30 on April 15 with a parade walk with pets from Central Park to Old Settlers Park and back starting at 9 a.m. Entry fee is $10 that will go toward the pantry.
“If you want to bring a bag of cat food or dog food, that would be great, too,” he said.
All the details are laid out in the application which can be found at the link at the bottom of the Roxie’s Pantry page.
The site also outlines more details of the program. Interested pet owners can also stop in at the church for more information.
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