Volunteers needed as demand for food grows
Roseville, Minn. – The Twin Cities Salvation Army is seeing an increased demand for volunteer help at its metro area food shelves and hot meal programs. This comes at a time when volunteers for these programs have fallen off.
From October 2014 to March 2015, The Salvation Army’s eight local food shelves have served more than 16,700 households, up from 14,500 during that same period last year. That is the largest increase in 11 years.
Similarly, hot meal programs are seeing an increased demand. At the E. Lake Street location in Minneapolis, the Salvation Army fed 1,500 families and provided groceries for more than 300 last month alone.
“The number of families who come to us for their food each month has nearly doubled in the past six months,“ said Patti Estep, team lead at E. Lake Street Salvation Army.
Other Salvation Army locations in the Twin Cities are also reporting an increased demand, which will likely only grow in the summer.
“We are just weeks away from kids being out of school,” explained Jessica Herring, program administrator at The Salvation Army. “We always see a big jump in demand for food, once they are no longer getting breakfast and lunch at school.”
The Salvation Army is seeking reliable, consistent volunteers to help serve meals and pack groceries for people at four locations in the Twin Cities:
Food shelf volunteers
- 1604 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, 8 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m., Monday–Friday, one person per shift
- 2727 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis, 8 a.m.–noon on Wednesdays, one person per shift
- 401 W. 7th Street, St. Paul, 8 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m., Monday–Friday
Food distribution volunteers
- 1604 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, 9 a.m.–noon, second Thursday of each month, up to four people per shift
- 401 W. 7th Street, St. Paul, 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Fridays, up to 10 people per shift
Hot meal servers
- 1604 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Monday–Friday
- 401 W. 7th Street, St. Paul, 7–9 a.m., Monday–Friday (help particularly needed on Fridays). Up to 10 people per shift.
- 1010 Currie Street, 7–9 a.m., 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 2–4:30 p.m., 4 p.m.–7 p.m., daily
Food sorter
- 401 W. 7th Street, St. Paul, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Monday–Friday, one person per shift
Learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities, or call Jennie Connors at 651-746-3426.
About The Twin Cities Salvation Army
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves more than 218,000 people a year through its local centers of operation, including 15 housing and shelter facilities and eight food shelves. Daily it serves nearly 1,400 hot meals and shelters more than 1,000 people each night. More than 26,600 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide these and other services, from child daycare to senior housing. Learn more about volunteer opportunities, or make a donation to support these and other important programs.