How to Help Food Shelves in Minnesota

As the second month of the federal government shutdown approaches, Advocates say thousands of Minnesotans He may go hungry starting November 1st.

Because of the shutdown, state officials say there is not enough federal funding for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food benefits to low-income families, to provide money to Minnesota participants for the next month. What’s more, local food shelves say they’re already strained by the growing need.

Gov. Tim Walz on Monday announced one-time emergency funding of $4 million for food shelves. The total loss of federal funding for nutrition programs is $73 million.

“The $4 million gap the governor announced is remarkably generous, but it’s not enough,” said Jason Viana, executive director of The Open Door Pantry. “If the lockdown is short, it will help us bridge the gap, but if the lockdown continues, it will not be enough.”

How to help those in need

Many large food banks like Second Harvest Heartland only accept bulk donations, but donors can donate money or sign up for a food packing shift at their Brooklyn Park location.

Food shelves often prefer monetary donations so they can buy what they need, since they have connections with food distributors and can purchase at a discount, but here are some food shelves in Minnesota that accept physical donations:

360 communities

360 Communities has five food shelves in the metro that accept donations: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Farmington, Lakeville and Rosemount. Some of their most sought-after items are canned meat and fish, canned or dried beans, nut butters, canned fruit of all kinds, fresh fruit that doesn’t need refrigeration, diapers, menstrual products, and baby wipes.

For the full list, Go here. They also accept volunteers and pet donations such as unopened dog and cat food and care items such as garbage or waste bags.

Dorothy Day Food Pantry

In Morehead, Dorothy Day Food Pantry He accepts donations and is currently in need of meat, pasta, grains, pasta sauce, and canned fruits and vegetables.

St. Peter’s Food District

During the summer, the St. Peter Food Shelf renovated its space to look like a supermarket. Guests grab carts and shop in the aisles just as they would in any other story. Leaders say this model helps remove the stigma of using food shelves.

They are encouraging Minnesotans to fill an extra bag when grocery shopping to donate. some One of the items they need most These are brown or wild rice, fruit juice, whole-grain pasta, canned or dried fruits, shampoo, soap, and deodorant. When possible, they prefer foods low in salt and sugar.

Chum2GO

In Duluth, Chum Food Shelf takes any and all donations. The organization primarily focuses on delivery and helping those without transportation access food shelves. They are also currently looking for delivery drivers and more information It can be found here.

Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf

Food rack at Fergus Falls Serving Otter Tail County. They currently need soup, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, cereal, hamburgers, and macaroni and cheese.

A comprehensive list of food shelves throughout the state can be obtained It can be found here.