Visits to metro area food shelves increased 21 percent in the last year, according to a new report from Hunger Solutions, a hunger relief organization. In Dakota and Carver counties, increases are even more alarming, at 70 percent and 66 percent respectively.

Teresa Paetznick knows what it’s like to need a helping hand.

When Paetznick was growing up her family took advantage of services like the local food shelf. So when she saw a newspaper article last December about the need for donations at the Community Action Council’s food shelf in Rosemount, of course Paetznick wanted to help.

The old face of hunger was lower-income families or generational-poverty families. Generational poverty means a person who has grown up in poverty and now as an adult lives in poverty. This group of people knows the “system.” They know whom to go to for help. They know what agencies help with what programs. They know whom to call and where food shelves are located.

There are no government bail outs for the Salvation Army. So a few people needing a hand are being turned away.

An Eden Prairie church has put a tangible reminder of food-shelf needs in the hands of its members, and the results are impressive.

After distributing burgundy-colored, canvas-like tote bags to church-goers the weekend of Jan.

During its last fiscal year, Channel One’s food bank distributed 5.5 million pounds of food and its food shelf served more than 11,000 registered households, a 75 percent increase from the previous year.

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