The high food prices that have pushed so many Americans to their limits are beginning to push some over the edge.

Bill, who lives in Hopkins with his wife and four children, has begun to go to a food shelf once a month for a free load of food that lasts 2-3 weeks.

“They said we earn too much to get food stamps,” his wife, Wendy, said.

The food shelf has become a necessity since they lost their last home to foreclosure and the debts piled up.

“In order to make up for that, we had to get help, get assistance wherever we could,” Bill said. “And this was a good start.”

They are far from alone. The food shelf bill’s family visits, run by Intercongregation Communities Association in Minnetonka, says traffic has increased 44 percent this year.

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