Family helped by food shelf, your gift doubles to help more in July
Written by Jeffrey DeMars, divisional media relations director for The Salvation Army Northern Division
“I don’t mean to get emotional, but if it wasn’t for The Salvation Army, there are many nights my kids would have gone hungry,” explained Trish Anderson, Albert Lea. “It’s a blessing to know that I have this available to me and everybody in the community has this available to them.”
Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless, in partnership with Hunger Solutions of Minnesota, will proportionally match donations to participating Salvation Army food shelves during the month of July, up to $5,000. When you give, you help even more people like Trish and her family.
Anderson is a mother to five children and initially she struggled to ask for help. She simply figured other people needed the help more than she did. Additionally, even if she did receive food, she figured her boys would not like the food she would get—which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“It’s like I go grocery shopping when I go to the food shelf,” smiled Anderson. “They’re literally ecstatic to see what ‘treats’ mom brings home today.”
The Salvation Army locations in Albert Lea, Brainerd, Duluth, Fairmont, Hibbing, St. Cloud and Virginia are all participating in the matching grant. You can donate online or send a check to a participating Salvation Army location. Even if your local Salvation Army isn’t part of the match, your gift still matters. July is a month where we historically experience emptier shelves and more people turning to us for help, as summer means providing an extra meal for children of some families.
“Summer can be especially stressful for both families with children and the food shelves that serve them,” explained Captain Mitch Brecto, Hibbing Salvation Army administrator. “Typically donations to food shelves are down in the summer, and it’s at a time when the need is even greater. Children miss out on the free meals schools offer and food shelves help to fill that gap.”