Food Shelf Help Needed

Beat Cabin Fever by Lending a Hand

Each February, volunteer participation drops by 20%. Meanwhile, demand in some areas is up by 25%. Your help is necessary now more than ever to get food to the people who need it most this winter.  RSVP partners have a variety of locations and opportunities.

Volunteers needed--RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities that support hunger relief. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Whatever it takes-- Patricia Lull, Saint Paul Area Council of Churches                          

The January food delivery from Second Harvest came on a day we were short staffed in the Department of Indian Work [Food Shelf]. Sick days and jury duty had called several away. The truck arrived late in the day, minutes after other volunteers had to leave. We were a remnant crew – five women, one man. 

The man and I unloaded the pallets at the door and carried frozen meat, canned goods, and lots of fresh produce into the building. The others sorted and shelved the food, which is so precious to the American Indian participants at our food shelf.

Each trip my co-worker carried two or three boxes for each one I hoisted. As the second of five pallets was unloaded, he said – Whatever it takes! I realized that he was telling me to just keep plugging along.

As the driver unloaded the third pallet, a car with more volunteers arrived. A long afternoon’s task was made much lighter. When all the food was stored away and the cardboard boxes carried to the recycling bin, I thanked the man who had worked tirelessly for two hours. With a broad grin he replied, “I do this for the community.”

RSVP Partner Site Takes SNAP CHALLENGE

The St. Paul Area Council of Churches sponsors an emergency food shelf serving the Native American community. RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities there. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. For more info: Call Jyni, 952-945-4162 or Email Jyni.

From Patricia

Join me in this most important challenge

Last month I joined a dozen faith leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities in the Twin Cities in a week-long “Food Stamp Challenge”. To increase our own awareness of the challenges faced by those who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to meet their food needs, each of us shopped for a week’s groceries using $31.50, a representative benefit for a single individual. The challenge provided an experiential way to deepen our own commitment to advocacy work on behalf of those who face hunger daily.

I completed the week-long experience with some food to spare. But more importantly, I learned lessons about the significance of food, shared meals, and having enough. Like all short-term experiences, a restricted food budget for a week did not create a new reality for me. At the end of the week, I was able to restore my shopping budget in a way that those in poverty are not able to do. Yet, the lessons I learned remain a part of how I think about my resources — and the needs of others — when I think about my daily meals.

Here are five lessons I learned. If you are living on a limited food budget by necessity or choice:

1. Be prepared to shop ahead or share a food purchase. Grocery stores do not favor single shoppers or a week-at-a-time budget. Access to a freezer and the ability to purchase in quantity are assumed when it comes to bargains.
2. Plan meals and menus. There is savings in that. Creativity is a great gift and beats eating peanut butter sandwiches four days in a row.
3. Make room at the table. Eating with others makes the simplest fare a feast — of conversation, laughter, hospitality
4. There are no margins for poor choices. I spent 10% of my budget to buy coffee, which was so bitter I couldn’t drink it.
5. A week's experience in awareness-raising is only as good as the advocacy efforts and life-changes that follow.

At the Council we are increasing our advocacy efforts to address and eliminate hunger in our communities. I hope you’ll join us in that most important challenge.

Patricia Lull
Executive Director

You can help by making a food or financial contribution to the DIW food shelf.

High priority items needed:

Dry goods rice: white, brown, wild navy beans pinto beans crackers pancake mix flour baking powder yeast sugar baking soda iodized salt macaroni spaghetti macaroni & cheese instant potatoes dry soup mixes: onion, chicken noodle unflavored oatmeal Cream of Wheat breakfast cereals artificial sweetener sugar-free items for diabetics

Canned & bottled beans: navy, pinto, baked spaghetti sauce vegetable oil syrup canned meats: tuna, chicken, spam, ham, corned beef, beef stew tomatoes: stewed, diced, whole, puree applesauce juices: orange, apple, cranberry, pineapple, tomato peanut butter jellies & jams

Personal care & household toilet paper feminine hygiene products soap shampoo toothpaste toothbrushes

Please drop off donations between 10am and 3pm on weekdays at the DIW entrance of 1671 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Call Becky at 651-644-2768 with questions.  Website

Focus on Hunger: Cory Booker Goes on Food Stamps

• For those who don't have enough food--there is a new ally bringing attention to the cause.  
• For those who don't understand the issue--Cory Booker wants to help you learn more (below).
• For those who want to help-- RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities working to end hunger. For more info: Call Jyni, 952-945-4162 or Email Jyni.

A Movement Toward Food Justice

Posted on LinkedIn by Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, NJ:

Cory Booker

December 04, 2012

inShare940

This morning, I will begin living on a food budget of $30 a week / $4.32 per day.  This is the financial equivalent of the budget provided to people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, in the State of New Jersey.  I will live only on a SNAP equivalent food budget for the next seven days.

Undertaking what is referred to as the #SNAPChallenge began with a social media-based conversation on Twitter.  A Twitter user tweeted me her opinion that "nutrition is not the responsibility of the government".  This comment caused me to reflect on the families and children in my community who benefit from SNAP assistance and deserve deeper consideration.  In my own quest to better understand the outcomes of SNAP assistance, I suggested to this specific Twitter user that we both live on a SNAP equivalent food budget for a week and document our experience.

A simple conversation on Twitter drew me into the #SNAPChallenge I am beginning today.  My goals for the #SNAPChallenge are to raise awareness and understanding of food insecurity; reduce the stigma of SNAP participation; elevate innovative local and national food justice initiatives and food policy; and, amplify compassion for individuals and communities in need of assistance.  Over the next seven days, I plan to highlight the voices of people involved in local food policy, the SNAP program, and other related initiatives. 

As I begin this journey, I am doubling down on my commitment to the Food Justice Movement that is gaining awareness and participation in this country.  We have much work to do at the local level to address a legacy of structural inequities in the American food system.  As more and more working people and families - many holding down more than one job - face greater and greater challenges to juggle housing, medical, and transportation costs, meeting nutritional needs becomes a serious problem and a social justice issue.  The struggle of children, seniors, and families to have access to essential nutrition is a struggle we are all invested in and we all benefit when families succeed. Now more than ever we are all in this together.

Throughout this week, I will document my #SNAPChallenge experiences and reflections on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and through video on #waywire.  If you are interested in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, I encourage you to click the reference links below. 

REFERENCE LINKS

• 2012 overview of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Published/snap/FILES/Other/BuildingHealthyAmerica.pdf 
• National Characteristics of SNAP households 2011 http://www.fns.usda.gov/ORA/menu/Published/SNAP/FILES/Participation/2011CharacteristicsSummary.pdf
• Who is eligible for SNAP? http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/contact_info/widget.htm

Last Minute Call for Help: Minneapolis & Maplewood

Just one hour of your time helps provide over 75 meals for our neighbors in need!

Each week, RSVP partner Second Harvest Heartland seeks to fill over 300 volunteer slots. While every hour of volunteer time equates to 75 meals, every shift we are not able to fill means 75 meals are not getting to those who are food insecure. Please consider joining us if you can spare a couple hours.

In the next two weeks, we have the following shifts we are hoping to fill:

Open Shifts at Maplewood (1140 Gervais Ave)

Tuesday, February 15th, or Friday February 18th, 1:00-4:00: Come work on our assembly line and pack boxes of food for low-income seniors and families


Open Shifts at our Minneapolis Service Center (3100 California St NE)

Thursday, February 24th 9:00-12:00: Every Thursday morning we generously receive a donation of tortillas. In order to keep those shipments coming we need to ensure we have a group of individuals to sort and repack them.

Tuesday, February 22nd 9:00-12:00 and Monday, February 28th 1:00-3:00: Have a open morning or afternoon free and looking to volunteer? Here is your opportunity! On Tuesday the 22nd in the morning and Monday the 28th in the afternoon the Minneapolis Service Center is looking for individuals to help sort and repack donated dried goods for our partner food shelves, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

If you would like to help us with one of the above-referenced shifts, please contact Jane by email http://www.blogger.com/jshade@2harvest.org or phone at 651.209.7917.

If you are not able to participate in these particular shifts, please know we can use your help for other shifts in the longer term! Thank you again for partnering with us in this important work of alleviating food insecurity in our state.

Got a Spare Hour?

Substitute Meals on Wheels Drivers Needed

There is an urgent need for substitute Meals on Wheels drivers! Right now a lot of volunteer drivers are out of town for summer vacations etc, so many programs are very strapped to find subs than can fill in. Volunteering one time can really help out, and it only takes a little over an hour.
Call 612-617-7820 and we'll connect you to your closest MOW program.

Free supplemental insurance and other RSVP benefits are available to volunteers 55 and over.