In Duluth, four food shelves benefit from the food drive: The Union Gospel Mission, Churches United in Ministry, the Salvation Army and Vineyard Christian Fellowship. They’ll divvy the food up in the coming days.

CHUM got about 40,000 pounds of food last year. It gives away about 5,000 pounds of food a week, so the Letter Carriers Food Drive should last the food shelf about two months.

Food inflation hit 4 percent last year, up from 2.4 percent in 2006. While beef prices already were high, chicken and pork prices didn’t reflect record costs for feed and fuel. That’s poised to change as chicken and pig producers who have been losing money slaughter more animals.

Food prices are way up – more than 5% in the past 3 months alone. For many of the 28 million people on food stamps, that means empty fridges. Advocates say Washington needs to step in.

CNN

International Falls Hunger Coalition reported that 44 more households visited the food shelf in the first three months of 2008 compared to the same time period in 2007, representing an increase of 11 percent.

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As the home heating season comes to an end, one Minnesota non-profit group is starting to install dozens of solar powered heating systems free of charge in low income households.

The group says it makes sense to provide renewable and pollution free solar heaters to homeowners who rely on government heating assistance. The State of Minnesota is offering funding to help with the effort.

Birthday Buddies works with food shelves and provide bags for them to have on hand when families stop in.

If you or someone you know works for an agency that could use our services, please contact Nancy Donahue (612) 202-9438.

Birthday Buddies

Families struggling to make ends meet can stretch their economic stimulus checks or tax refunds a bit further if they use them to buy gift cards at Cub Foods or other outlets operated by the grocery store’s parent company, Super Valu.

Falls Hunger Coalition Food Shelf recently received $5,000 from Northland Foundation to continue the Senior Select and Fruit Bucks for Kids programs through April and May 2008.