No Reason to Stop Caring

By Lee Egerstrom, Economic Development Fellow, August 17, 2012 at 1:30 pm

Food shelves across Minnesota are getting a jolt of fresh cash this week from money raised during and after Minnesota FoodShare’s annual March Campaign.

In all, $900,000 is being distributed to 286 food shelves in checks ranging form $125 to more than $36,000, FoodShare announced.

FoodShare is a human services program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Volunteers working with the program help restock food items at the food shelves during the March food and fund drive while others contribute money.

The latter is especially important because it allows food shelves to purchase important goods that are in short supply, said Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer, the program director. It is especially important this year as food prices are rising, she added; and it will be even more important in the year ahead as skyrocketing commodity prices work their way through the food chain.

Food shelf operators are concerned that Minnesota’s comparatively low unemployment rate – 5.8 percent – may lead to some complacency. The unemployment rate doesn’t reveal under-employed and people who are working part-time jobs that are inadequate to properly feed and house families dependent on the wage earner.

“Needs are increasing; they aren’t going away,” Nelson-Pallmeyer said in an interview.

Looking at those needs, FoodShare is partnering with other organizations in sponsoring a Food Access Summit at Duluth on Aug. 21-23. Information on the summit can be found at mnfoodshare.gmcc.org.

Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Nutrition  Economic Recovery  Poverty