State of Hunger: Effort To Raise Two Million Pounds of Food Continues in Minnesota
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Salvation Army of Minnesota is continuing its push towards its goal of raising 2 million pounds of food donations during March.
At Prince of Peace Church in Burnsville, food shelf staffers say demand for food has been steadily increasing over the course of the last five months. Now, staff members and volunteers say they provide stability and support for more than 150 families on some weeks.
"It's definitely a bit of a challenge," said Food Shelf Coordinator Trevor Skorburg. "(Sometimes it's) a bit of coming down to the wire and wanting to make sure there is enough. To make sure that people have, when they come in, that their carts are full, that they walk away with enough food for what they need."
The shelf in Burnsville relies heavily on donations from local store partners and individual donations, Skorburg said.
"Food is just the building block of everything. It's what unites us with our families, it's what allows us to stop, pause and nourish ourselves," he said.
The pandemic has more people coming through the door at Salvation Army's food shelf locations. Some, like Fe Clardy, fell out of work when Coronavirus took over the country in 2020.
"I'm really just doing enough to meet my bills," said Clardy, who works as a rideshare driver after losing her job in construction. "The times that we're living in now are different than what they were 30, 20, 10 years ago."
Clardy first used the Burnsville Food Shelf at the end of February.
"I came here and I got more than just fruits and vegetables, I got love, I got prayer. I got compassion," she said. "It was very welcoming."
Two million pounds of food would help provide nearly 1.2 million meals, the organization says, the equivalent of filling food shelves for three months.
Donations can be taken to participating Cub stores, SPIRE Credit Unions, Schuler Shoes stores, Morrie's Auto Group locations and Salvation Army Family Stores.
Click here for more information on donating to the Salvation Army.
