Mobile Food Shelf Grants Awarded
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2015
Contact: Jill Westfall, Hunger Solutions Minnesota
651-789-9843, jwestfall@hungersolutions.org
Hunger Solutions Minnesota announces $1 million in mobile food shelf grants
ST. PAUL, MN – Hunger Solutions Minnesota is announcing the recipients of the first round of Mobile Food Shelf funding. The $1 million in competitive grants will go to 17 food shelf programs to start or expand their mobile food shelf programs. Mobile food shelves bring food to individuals and communities that are unable to access traditional food shelves either because of disability, age, or distance.
Programs funded include:
NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Minneapolis – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: North Minneapolis
Vineyard Community Services, Burnsville – $65,000
Geographic Area Served: Dakota County
Catholic Charities of St. Cloud, St. Cloud – $10,000
Geographic Area Served: St. Cloud, Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, Sartell and St. Augusta
Western Community Action Network (WeCAN), Mound – $44,000
Geographic Area Served: Western Hennepin County
Keystone Community Services, St. Paul – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: St. Paul and suburban North Ramsey County
The Open Door, Eagan – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: Dakota County
East Side Neighborhood Services, Minneapolis – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: Hennepin County
ICA Food Shelf, Minnetonka – $30,000
Geographic Area Served: Western Hennepin County
Family Pathways, North Branch – $50,000
Geographic Area Served: Isanti and Chisago Counties
The Food Group, New Hope – $70,500
Geographic Area Served: Ramsey, Hennepin, and Anoka Counties
Prairie Five Community Action, Montevideo – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: Swift and Chippewa Counties
Two Harbors Area Food Shelf, Two Harbors – $28,500
Geographic Area Served: Lake and St. Louis Counties
The Aliveness Project, Minneapolis – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: Greater Minnesota communities of Alexandria, Willmar, Brainerd, Moorhead, Grand Forks, Bemidji, Duluth, Grand Rapids, St. Cloud, Mankato, and Rochester
ECHO Food Shelf, Mankato – $24,000
Geographic Area Served: Blue Earth County
CEAP/Anoka CAN, Brooklyn Center – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: Anoka County
CROSS, Rogers – $38,000
Geographic Area Served: Corcoran, Rogers, Dayton, West Champlin, Osseo, and Maple Grove
Merrick Community Services, Saint Paul – $75,000
Geographic Area Served: East St. Paul and Western Washington County
Hunger Solutions Minnesota, St. Paul – $40,000 (administrative fee)
Geographic Area Served: Statewide
“Mobile food shelves are the latest innovation in food access. We’re finding more and more people are unable to get to their local brick-and-mortar food shelf either because it’s too far away or because they are elderly, sick, or disabled and can’t travel to a physical site. Bringing the food shelf to them makes sure that they are able to access the nutritious food,” says Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota.
“Mobile food shelves are a win-win for the food shelves and the community. Mobile shelves are less expensive to get up and running than building a new physical location, and since they can go anywhere, they are much more flexible in being able to meet the changing needs of the people they serve.”
The $1 million funding is from an appropriation passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2015. An additional round of funding will be issued in 2016.
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About Hunger Solutions Minnesota
Hunger Solutions Minnesota works to end hunger via the Minnesota Food HelpLine and by advancing fair public nutrition policies on behalf of hungry Minnesotans. We connect Minnesota’s food shelves with funding and technical assistance to support 9,000 daily food shelf visits across the state. Our work is made possible through the generous support of donors across the country, each sharing our commitment to ensuring no Minnesotan will struggle with food insecurity alone. Recognized as the most efficient civic nonprofit for two years running by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.