Local food bank needs volunteers to feed hungry Minnesotans
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The temperatures are going down while heating costs are going up, and that's putting a lot of pressure on Minnesota families.
"In 2023 we're on pace to be the hungriest year on record in the state of Minnesota," Mike Stephenson, a manager at Second Harvest Heartland food bank told WCCO. "Emergency benefits from the pandemic ended last spring, meaning smaller grocery budgets for a lot of Minnesota families. Ongoing inflation as well as volatility in gas and grocery prices are also impacting families and we're seeing a lot families struggle right now."
Second Harvest helped source and distribute more than 113 million meals last year, and volunteers play a crucial role in that process.
"At Second Harvest Heartland we source massive amounts of food, sometimes half a million pounds of food each day. A lot of that needs to be sorted, repacked and redistributed to our partners," Stephenson added.
The organization hopes to recruit up to 20-30 more volunteers to help meet surging demand.
"Without those volunteers it would be impossible to keep up with the demand we're seeing right now," he said.
Anyone ages 10 and up can volunteer, and there are up to three shifts a day, six days a week.
To sign up and volunteer, visit here.