Two million pounds: The Salvation Army launches massive Minnesota food drive
The Salvation Army has launched a massive food drive in Minnesota, with the goal of raising 2 million pounds of food during the month of March.
This second-annual food drive will support many of the 430,000 Minnesotans who are not getting enough food to eat due to inflation, supply shortages, and other fallout caused by the pandemic.
Among those Minnesotans is Natasha, a single mother whose hours were slashed due to COVID-19. She has spent the past two years working whenever she can, while raising a toddler and going back to school to pursue a medical career.
In order to make ends meet, Natasha relies on The Salvation Army’s food pantry in Burnsville – where she also picks up food for an elderly woman who is homebound.
“It’s a great food shelf – the people there really get to know you,” said Natasha, whose go-to foods include peanut butter, cheese, beans, meat, and fresh produce. “I love using root vegetables to make stews, and lettuce to make sandwich wraps.”
The Salvation Army operates 22 food pantries in Minnesota, all of which have been strained by higher food prices and skyrocketing demand. Last year, The Salvation Army Northern Division provided about 5.3 million meals, or about 8 million pounds of food.
“We expect to serve just as many people in 2022, but we can’t do it alone,” said Lt. Col. Dan Jennings, leader of The Salvation Army Northern Division. “It takes all of us to raise 2 million pounds of food and meet the needs of our community. It takes an Army.”
Get Involved
Please help The Salvation Army raise 2 million pounds of food by donating nonperishables, hosting a food drive, giving a cash donation, or volunteering.
Donate food: In the Twin Cities, drop off nonperishable foods March 2-31 at any SPIRE Credit Union, Schuler Shoes, Morrie’s auto dealer, Salvation Army Store, or participating Cub grocery stores. View a map of all drop-off locations.
In greater Minnesota, drop off nonperishable foods at your local Salvation Army Worship & Service Center anytime in March.
(High-demand foods include pasta, rice, and peanut butter, plus canned items such as fruit, veggies, and soup.)
Host a food drive: Collect nonperishable foods from friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and others. We will send you a Food Drive Starter Kit that includes tips and promotional materials for your website or social media.
When you’ve finished your collection, bring your food to The Salvation Army’s headquarters in Roseville on Saturday, April 2 for a special drive-thru weigh-in event. (Read about successful grassroots food drives from last year’s collection.)
Buy a Star Tribune newspaper on Sunday, March 13: Inside the newspaper you’ll find a brown paper bag. Fill the bag with nonperishable foods and bring it to a participating Cub grocery store. View a map of all drop-off locations.
Give a cash donation: Help us feed hungry families by donating online at 2millionpounds.org. A gift of just $50 feeds 69 people for a day.
Volunteer: Got extra time? Support our food drive by helping us unload delivery vehicles, weigh food, stock shelves, and more. Sign up to volunteer now.