ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans are filling their carts in time for Thanksgiving, but some have to turn to food shelves to ensure their families are fed.
State officials say household visits are on pace to hit seven million by the end of 2023. That’s up from five million visits in 2022, which was unprecedented at the time.
Cassie Kienbaum is director of food support programming at St. Paul’s Neighborhood House.
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“Years ago, food shelves were seen as an emergency service. Now they are a commonly-used essential lifeline for many,” Kienbaum said.
She says the costs of stocking the shelves for people in need increased, too, with expenses equaling an extra $7,000 a month.
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“The need and our budgets are getting farther and farther apart,” Kienbaum said.
On Monday, she joined other advocates working to end hunger to celebrate a boost before the holidays: Gov. Tim Walz’s administration has earmarked $5 million in leftover federal COVID relief funds for food banks like Second Harvest Heartland to send more to the local food shelves, and at no cost to them.
“How we address hunger from this moment forward will have a huge impact on the health and well-being of our state,” said Second Harvest Heartland CEO Allison O’Toole.
The extra support comes at a critical time. PRISM in Golden Valley has seen a 54% increase in food shelf visits compared to last year.
“We’re seeing the numbers of families visiting the food shelf go up, but our purchasing power even through the food banks has gone down,” said PRISM executive director Michelle Ness. “So we’re really excited about this announcement and hopeful that it will result in some more food for us to be able to provide directly to families.”
Lawmakers also passed $5 million in emergency aid to food shelves earlier this year. Advocates hope they will make a bigger investment next year.
