‘March’ your way to ending hunger
Imagine how desperate and powerless you’d feel if you were hungry but had no food to eat, and no way of obtaining any without assistance.
Sadly, one out of five Minnesota families with children will face that crisis today.
You can help these families. And there’s no better time than right now, during Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. It’s the state’s largest food drive of the year, a grassroots effort aimed at stocking all of Minnesota’s 300 food shelves.
Helping is easy. Simply give online or drop off nonperishable food items at your local Salvation Army in the Twin Cities or Greater Minnesota. Online gifts will go to your nearest Salvation Army based on the ZIP code you provide, with a portion of your gift matched by Minnesota FoodShare.
You can even start a food drive. Doing so is as simple as setting out a collection bin at your church, school or place of business, or going door-to-door with your family.
“Please give generously – Salvation Army food shelves across the state, and the families they serve, are depending on this food drive,” said Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division commander.
How your gifts help
Food donations fly off the shelves just as fast as The Salvation Army can collect them in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
In the Twin Cities alone, The Salvation Army’s eight food shelves last year distributed 2.7 million pounds of food to more than 41,000 families.
The food shelf at the E. Lake St. Salvation Army in Minneapolis (pictured) is crossing its fingers for a successful month of donations. It’s serving double the households it used to – now about 250 per month – thanks to a recent remodel of its food shelf and a new commercial refrigerator and freezer.
“Our mission is to be able to serve the people in this community and this new space is really allowing us to grow,” said Captain Kelli Trejo, co-leader of the facility.
In Greater Minnesota, donations in March account for huge chunks of what our smaller food shelves distribute. Like in Virginia, Minn., where last year’s March food drive yielded food and cash donations equal to about 13,500 pounds of food.
“We are so grateful for support from the local community,” said Jean Cheney, Virginia Salvation Army case worker. “Your generosity helps ensure that your neighbors in need do not have to go hungry another night.”
Nonperishable food donations are also used to make hot meals at select Salvation Army locations. The Rochester Salvation Army, for example, serves a free hot lunch every weekday. These meals are a blessing to people like Jerry Harris (pictured), 55, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and is virtually unable to cook for himself.
The Salvation Army appreciates your support during the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. Thank you for donating online.
Simple, tempting recipes for you
As a thank you for your generosity, The Salvation Army has assembled delicious recipes from some of Minnesota’s hottest chefs, bloggers and restaurateurs, including Bizarre Foods TV show host Andrew Zimmern and Minneapolis-based cook, writer, photographer, and culinary coach Stephanie A. Meyer, among others.
Each recipe is simple enough for the average cook to whip up in one night with one pot and one pan – such as Zimmern’s “Best One-Pot Beef Stew” (pictured).