Grand Rapids Food Shelf Kicks Off Annual March Campaign

Grand Rapids, MN – Throughout Minnesota, visits to food shelves have increased 164% over the past decade. That is why the Minnesota FoodShare, a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, organizes Minnesota's largest food and fund drive for the hungry. During the month of March, Grand Rapids Food Shelf is joining with over 300 food shelves across Minnesota to collect donations of money and food. These donations will support local efforts to help feed people in need and reduce hunger in our community. FoodShare is a grass-roots driven food and fund drive that raises awareness about hunger in Minnesota where statistics show one in five Itasca County children do not have enough food to eat.

The theme of the Grand Rapids Food Shelf’s March FoodShare Campaign is “Be a Hunger Hero.” “Due to the reality that one out of nine families in the greater Grand Rapids area turns to us for assistance, the need is greater than ever,” according to Ellen Christmas, Program Manager of the Grand Rapids Food Shelf. “In order to keep the shelves stocked and meet the need, we count on local support to provide food and hope, to many families trying to keep food on the table. Every effort or contribution, large or small, helps us to continue to feed people. March is the time of year that we can leverage additional dollars for the Food Shelf through donations because of the FoodShare Campaign and the Feinstein Challenge,” she added.

The Grand Rapids Food Shelf distributes food to over 2,500 individuals every month. Close to 40% of those being served are children. Many people often choose to skip meals in order to pay for heat, medicine, and other basic needs. Current resources cannot meet the need for the increasing number of families seeking help. To allow the Food Shelf to continue to be a safety net for those experiencing real hunger, support is needed from the entire community. All food and funds contributed locally stay in the area and must be received in March to count toward the March FoodShare Campaign. 

There are many ways to become a Hunger Hero - donate to your local food shelf, host a food drive, or become a hunger relief advocate by taking action to end hunger. For more information contact Program Manager, Ellen Christmas at 218.326.4420 or exmas@secondharvestncfb.com.

State of Hunger in North Central Minnesota

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, appreciates President Obama’s State of the Union Address acknowledgement of the challenges facing low-income families and of the importance of jobs and opportunity. 

While we agree that a good-paying job and a strong economy are the best solution to poverty, we also believe that we have a responsibility to protect families from hunger when they fall on hard times.

Every day, we see the heart-wrenching tradeoffs that low-income families are forced to make. Here in north central Minnesota, more than 28,000 people live in homes classified as food insecure, meaning they do not always have access to adequate amounts of food to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. To understand that point, you only need to make a visit to your local food bank, church pantry, soup kitchen, or other agencies in our community helping to put food on the table for struggling Minnesotans.

Federal nutrition programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), WIC and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program( CSFP) are crucial to helping families put food on the table so they do not have to choose between filling their cupboards or paying their rent.

While some would like to believe that hunger is a problem better solved by charity, the truth is as important as charity is, charity cannot do it alone. We also need a strong federal safety net. Speaking from the frontlines, we are barely able to keep up with existing need, and there is no way we could make up the difference if federal anti-hunger programs are cut, as some in Washington have proposed. If you have any doubt that need is real, take a look at these numbers:

•         More than 1 in 5 children lives in a family that doesn’t always know how it will put food on the table.

•         46 percent of food bank client households report having to choose between paying for utilities or heating fuel and buying food.

•         39 percent of food bank client households are forced to choose between food and rent or a mortgage.

•         3 of every 4 SNAP households includes a child, senior, or disabled person, and half of all SNAP participants are children.

•         The average SNAP benefit is less than $1.50 per person, per meal. For senior households, it is only $1.23.

That is why Second Harvest North Central Food Bank is calling on government leaders from both parties to work together to provide economic opportunity for all Americans and to maintain strong anti-hunger programs to support vulnerable families on their path to self-sufficiency. Please join us.

Support Spotlight - Open Your Heart Produce Grant

 

For several years, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank has been the recipient of fresh produce through Hunger Solutions thanks to the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless grant. We, along with five other Feeding America partner food banks in Minnesota were again awarded a $100,000 grant to help fund a statewide acquisition of fresh produce for hungry our neighbors.

 

Every month, Second Harvest receives thousands of pounds of produce through this grant. Last month we received potatoes, onions, oranges, and carrots. We are so fortunate and thankful to be able to distribute fresh, healthy food to the elderly, children, and families in need.

 

 

The Minnesota partner food banks acquire nearly 1 million pounds of fresh produce - the equivalent of 800,000 meals - through the grant each year. This is hugely significant since fresh produce is one of the most costly and difficult food items to obtain for those in need.

Thank you, Open Your Heart!

How does the Fiscal Cliff agreement affect hungry Americans...

How does the Fiscal Cliff agreement affect hungry Americans & the food banks that serve them?

On January 1, Congress passed an agreement to avert the “Fiscal Cliff” and prevent tax rates from rising on 98% of Americans. As part of the deal, the automatic spending cuts (sequestration) that were scheduled to go into effect on January 1 have been postponed for two months. The measure also included an extension of the Farm Bill until September 30 and renewed the Food Donation Tax Deduction through 2013. Below is a breakdown of how the Fiscal Cliff agreement impacts the network and the clients we serve.
Farm Bill

• Extends the Farm Bill until September 30.
• No cuts to SNAP benefits, but $110 million was cut from SNAP Nutrition Education
• TEFAP remains unchanged from previous Farm Bill.
• Some expired (non nutrition) programs were not funded in the extension.

Tax

• Reinstates and renews the food donation tax deduction for 2012 and 2013.
• Leaves deductions including the charitable tax deduction uncapped.
• Allows the Pease Limitation to be reinstated for incomes above $250,000 single/$300,000 married when taking itemized deductions (The Pease limitation reduces itemized deductions by 3 percent of the amount by which adjusted gross income exceeds a specified threshold, up to a maximum reduction of 80 percent of itemized deductions. Could have an impact on very large strategic gifts, but not nearly as much as capping deductions would have).

What’s Next?

Cuts to anti-hunger programs, as well as limits to the charitable tax deduction, were averted in this agreement, in large measure due to the tremendous advocacy efforts of anti-hunger advocates like you. However, deficit reduction politics will continue to dominate Washington. We can expect significant pressure to cut SNAP and other programs our clients rely on will continue through 2013 as Congress makes decisions on the Farm Bill, federal spending, and deficit reduction. We will need to be ready for several important events over the next few months and advocacy will continue to be critical.

• Debt Ceiling vote: Mid-February. The Debt Ceiling will need to be increased in mid-February. This vote may be used as leverage to make sweeping spending cuts.
• Farm Bill Markup: End of February. Because there is a new Congress, both the House and Senate will need to rewrite the Farm Bill. The House has indicated they will markup the Farm Bill on February 27. The Senate is also expected to act quickly.
• Sequestration: March. The automatic spending cuts scheduled to go into effect January 1 were postponed until March. The threat of sequestration remains another leverage point to make additional spending cuts.
• Expiring Continuing Resolution: March. The Continuing Resolution will expire in March, meaning Congress will need to pass legislation to keep the government in operation.

Advocacy

Right now, our focus should be on meeting with new Members of Congress and preparing for the upcoming Farm Bill and broader deficit deals. One thing you can do is join online campaign to get every Member of Congress to visit their food bank.

Story from www.feedingamerica.org.
 

The Calm before the...Controlled Chaos

This is 18th year Second Harvest has facilitated the Itasca Holiday Program. By now, we are, as they say, a well-oiled machine. We feel confident that everything is ready to go and should go off without a hitch. Of course we have planned for any possible hiccups we may encounter along the way.

The food boxes are prepped and ready to be delivered to seven distribution sites, other than Second Harvest. Toys are being dropped off and sorted, lists are being compiled, gift bags are labeled, inserts and grocery store vouchers are printed. Tomorrow the fruit will be bagged and all remaining toys will be sorted. Saturday we will have all of the gifts sorted and selected for each individual child. Because we ordered pre-packed food boxes this year, we will all get a day of rest on Sunday! Yay!

The controlled chaos (distribution of the food boxes and gifts) will begin on Monday in Squaw Lake, Taconite, and Keewatin. It will continue Tuesday in Bigfork, Hill City, and Inger and wrap up with distribution in Deer River and Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

We call it, controlled chaos, because we have a very efficient system in place for distribution in Grand Rapids. We have a drive-thru option for those just picking up a food box, fruit bag, and grocery store voucher which takes place in our parking lot. We direct those who are receiving gifts for children into the warehouse to pick up their gift bags along with their food box, fruit bag and voucher. Our fingers are crossed in hopes that Mother Nature will be good to us during distribution.

Many plates would be bare, and stockings empty, if it wasn't for all of the hard work by so many individuals. It is a huge collaborative effort by our staff, volunteers, donors, local businesses, schools, civic groups, churches, and social workers.

And in the end it is all very worth it. I can assure you there will be tears of joy and appreciation, smiles of delight, and happy hearts - mine included.