Food drive profile: Musical Mexican immigrant sings praises
Your donations to The Salvation Army’s Annual Food Drive in March help Minnesotans like Daniel – a Mexican immigrant and musician who sings praises about our food shelves.
Daniel, 70, has worked hard all his life for the country he loves. He arrived in the U.S. in 1977 and went to school in Milwaukee, Wis. to learn English, later working as a corporate interpreter for several years.
In 1985, he moved to St. Paul to go to culinary school and spent the next 15 years working as a cook, including several years at the renowned St. Paul Hotel.
Daniel is also an accomplished singer and musician. He performed in a Mariachi band for many years, with regular gigs at the Minnesota State Fair. In addition, he recently realized his dream of performing in a prestigious play when the Minnesota Opera selected him for a part in a performance at the Ordway Center in St. Paul.
“It was a play about immigrants – and I got to play the part of the Old Man,” he said. “I got to sing and act on stage. I fulfilled my dreams!”
Daniel has been coming to The Salvation Army for food, off and on, ever since he was forced to stop working 10 years ago due to physical limitations. He walks with a limp and has difficulty standing in one place for long periods of time.
He receives food at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul, one of 25 Salvation Army food pantries in Minnesota that – when combined with our local hot meal programs – provide an average of 8,100 daily meals for people like Daniel.
Stocking these food programs during The Salvation Army’s Annual Food Drive is critically important, as about 1 in 5 Minnesota families now rely on food shelves to make ends meet. Additionally, a new study revealed that Minnesotans made nearly 9 million visits to food shelves in 2024 – shattering the all-time record of 7.5 million visits set in 2023.
“The food shelf here is excellent,” Daniel said. “I’m grateful for programs like this that care about the community. Rich people, poor people, middle class – we all have the same needs. We have to eat."
How to Help
Please support The Salvation Army’s Annual Food Drive by donating nonperishables, hosting a food drive, giving a cash donation, volunteering, or rounding up at Cub grocery stores. Your generosity will fill the stomachs of Minnesotans hungry for help.
Donate food in the Twin Cities by dropping off nonperishables such as pasta, peanut butter, and canned goods Feb. 28–March 22 at our Twin Cities partner locations below.
You can also bring food to the KARE 11 news studio, 8811 Olson Mem Hwy in Golden Valley, during a special weigh-in event on Wednesday, March 26 from 3–6 p.m. Throughout March, KARE 11 personalities will gather donations through their “Food Fight” food drive to support The Salvation Army.
Download a grocery list of high-demand and culturally-specific foods.
Donate food in greater Minnesota by dropping off nonperishable foods Feb. 28–March 31 at your local Salvation Army Worship & Service Center.
Donate online: Help us feed local families by giving online. Your donation will be used to purchase food for Salvation Army food pantries nearest to your billing ZIP code.
Round up at Cub: Shop at local Cub grocery stores in March and round your purchase up to support our food drive. Whether you give one penny or 99 cents, your small gift will have a big impact when combined with other Cub shoppers who choose to contribute.
Host a food drive: Collect nonperishable foods from friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and others. Drop off the food you collect at our partner locations or at KARE 11 (8811 Olson Mem Hwy, Golden Valley) during their special event on Wednesday, March 26, from 3–6 p.m. (Read about successful grassroots food drives from previous years.)
Volunteer: Do you have time to spare? Support our food drive by helping us unload delivery vehicles, weigh food, stock shelves, and more. Sign up to volunteer.