KNOCK AND DROP EXPANDS TO 5-DAY PANTRY What began as one woman’s after-hours effort to deliver food to Latino families on Wednesdays has expanded into a five-day operation. Zuli’s Knock and Drop now operates weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving all Des Moines neighbors. This growth shows how one person’s vision and drive can spark community change. Zuleyma “Zuli” Mendez began the program in her garage on March 4, 2020. As demand outgrew her space, Zuli and her volunteers

BUSIEST YEAR EVER FOR MYDSMMOBILE See something. Say something. Public Works, Engineering, and Neighborhood Services will sort it. Des Moines residents embraced the myDSMmobile app for reporting City issues—15 categories in all, with 7,058 tickets opened in 2025. That’s an uptick from 6,946 the previous year. Potholes were once again the largest category, with 2,256 reports (32 percent of the 2025 total), and up from 2,021 in 2024. Public Works director Jonathan Gano told me