Last call to give for FoodShare Month
There’s still time to maximize your donation during the state’s largest food drive of the year – Minnesota FoodShare Month.
Online donations given now through March 31 amount to hundreds of extra dollars for Salvation Army food shelves across Minnesota. Minnesota FoodShare will be providing financial grants to these food shelves based on how much food and money they raise throughout the month.
“Our requests for food program support are important all year long,” said Lt. Colonel Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Divisional Commander of Minnesota and North Dakota. “But during March, there are big incentives – we don’t want to miss out on a gift that will help us give hope to even more families.”
The need for food shelf assistance is huge in Minnesota. Salvation Army food shelves in the Iron Range cities of Hibbing and Virginia, for example, have been serving 20 and 30 percent more people, respectively, during the past year.
“One of our seniors told me that she hadn’t had fresh fruits and vegetables for two years until she heard about our program,” said Nancy Massich, social worker at the Hibbing Salvation Army, which offers fresh produce once a week. “Our biggest thing here is produce and meat because people just can’t afford them.”
The need is great in the Twin Cities, too. Last year, the Twin Cities Salvation Army distributed nearly 2.7 million pounds of food to 85,000 people.
“With more food, we could have served even more people,” Thomson said. “The need never goes away.”
Stretching your donation
Your financial support of Salvation Army food shelves goes a long way. Thanks to a network of low-cost food banks, The Salvation Army can purchase pallets of food for as little as 12 cents per pound, or buy milk for under $2 per gallon.
“A $10 gift to us goes further than purchasing and donating $25 worth of groceries on your own,” Thomson said.
Of course, The Salvation Army remains grateful for every nonperishable food donation we receive – especially considering that some important items are seldom available for us to purchase.
“If you are looking for something tangible to give, peanut butter is perfect,” Thomson added. “We never have enough, and it is always a welcome protein for families – especially kids.”
Whether you give money or food, or choose to do so during Minnesota FoodShare or a later date, the most important thing is that you just plain do it.
“Whatever help our supporters can give is appreciated because the need for food never goes away,” Thomson said. “The more that people can give to The Salvation Army, the more people we can help.
“Thank you to all the people and businesses that have supported The Salvation Army during Minnesota FoodShare Month.”
Help support The Salvation Army right now by donating online. To donate nonperishable foods, find your nearest Salvation Army location by typing in your ZIP code at the top of this page.