St. Paul food shelf pushes for donations as demand doubles: "There's a high need"
Demand for help at Merrick Community Services is continuing to climb, and food shelf visits have doubled in just two years' time.
It's part of a growing trend after Minnesota food shelves saw record demand in 2024.
"We used to serve 50-60 families every day. Now we're serving over 100 families in the span of two hours," said Merrick's Kaitlin Meye. "It's gotten absolutely ridiculous over the last year – just seeing the amount of homelessness that we're seeing with people coming into our doors. It's crazy."
Meye says the absence of American Rescue funding, the end of an eviction moratorium and steadily rising inflation are key contributors driving families to need help.
"There is a high need in the community," Meye said. "People might need to realize that things might get worse before they get better."
This March, WCCO is partnering with Merrick Community Services for the Fill That Truck Food Drive.
The critical campaign raises donations and shines a spotlight on the pressing issue of food insecurity in our neighborhoods.
For this year's food drive, there's a special emphasis on the importance of donating culturally specific food items to ensure all families have access to the foods they know and love.
Merrick Community Services will be collecting non-perishable food items from March 1 to April 6. Items can be dropped off at Merrick's offices or Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op.
"It makes a world of a difference. Our development team is always like – every dollar counts, and it's true," Meye said.
