Last summer, Tammy Jensen-Boehne became a statistic.

Sidelined from her nursing-assistant job for eight weeks because of surgery, the Woodbury woman joined the growing number of Minnesotans who get help from a food shelf.

The experience inspired her to launch A Place of Hope, a new food shelf and resource center serving the Woodbury-Oakdale area. She and other volunteers are looking for space and hope to have the food shelf open by August.

Use of food shelves is “growing more and more with gas prices (rising) and the economy the way it is,” Jensen-Boehne said.

Pioneer Press