Hunger epidemic still on the rise

FoodShare campaign begins March 1

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | March 2025

Neighborhood House and Neighbors, Inc. are among the hundreds of food shelves across the state participating in the 44th annual Minnesota FoodShare campaign, an initiative of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. The campaign challenges food shelves to see which one can raise the most food and money, and the Council donates a proportionate amount of funds to each based on how much they raise. While these organizations rely on donations throughout the year, the boost is especially needed this time of year as they restock after the holidays and prepare for the busy summer months ahead. The campaign runs March 1 through April 6 and, like last year, the need for contributions is at an all-time high.

According to the Council, there were an estimated 9 million visits at Minnesota food shelves in 2024, shattering the record of 7.5 million visits set in 2023, and dwarfing the 5.75 million visits made in 2022 and 3.6 million made in 2021. Overall, annual visits to food shelves are about 150% higher than they were before the pandemic began in 2020.

Neighborhood House, 179 Robie St. E., St. Paul, operates the Wellstone Center Food Market, which serves residents of Ramsey County. Last fiscal year, the market distributed a record-breaking amount of food – nearly a million pounds – to 6,590 families. That is 30% more food and more than three times as many families as the year before. Its goal for this year’s campaign is to raise 350,000 dollars/pounds of food. Donations may be dropped off at the center at any time.

“With the cost of essentials soaring and economic uncertainty weighing on families, we see more people walking through our doors every day – parents who can’t afford a gallon of milk, seniors forced to choose between food and medicine, and children whose meals at home are never guaranteed,” said Neighborhood House food drive manager Miranda Hernandez. “The reality is stark: in fiscal year 2023, we distributed about 60,000 pounds of food each month. Today, that number has surged to over 100,000 pounds monthly. The demand is growing and our March FoodShare campaign allows us to create a safety net as we manage that need.”

This year, Neighborhood House will collect donations at four grocery stores and host events including “Stuff the Truck” and a new interactive family event at the Wellstone Center. Its Food Market Wish List includes shelf-stable staples including rice, canned tuna, oatmeal and coffee, culturally specific items including corn flour, dry beans, fish sauce and curry paste, and some miscellaneous items such as reusable shopping bags and gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Neighborhood House also recently opened a food shelf on Montreal Avenue in St. Paul to help fight the battle against hunger. People seeking to receive food at the Wellstone Center must make an appointment before visiting the market. To make an appointment, call 651-789-3630 between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays. For more information, visit neighborhoodhousemn.org.

“With the opening of our second site, we know this need will only grow,” said Hernandez. “We anticipate our distribution could triple next year, and we are committed to rising to the challenge – ensuring that no one in our community must face hunger alone…. After 128 years of serving our community, we know one thing for certain: we can’t do this alone. It takes all of us to ensure that no one goes hungry – so let’s make this our most impactful March FoodShare yet!”

Neighbors, Inc., 222 Grand Ave., South St. Paul, serves residents in northern Dakota County. Last fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed more than 1 million pounds of food to 31,850 households. This is an increase of 159,000 pounds of food and 6,980 more families. The organization’s goal for this campaign is to raise 300,000 dollars/pounds of food. Donations may be dropped off at the lower level of Neighbors Inc., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and financial donations can be mailed to Neighbors Inc. or made online at neighborsmn.org. Those seeking to visit the food market must make an appointment at neighborsmn.org or by calling 651-455-5000.

“Our Neighbors Nook weekly food distribution on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. and the third Saturday of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. continues to see an increase in visitors,” said Neighbor’s Inc. hunger programs manager Erin Roeske. “On February 4 this year, 180 households visited The Neighbors Nook in a two-hour time span. The increased cost of groceries is one of the big reasons we see more people utilizing our hunger relief services.” She said the organization is also seeking volunteers, and that no food or financial contribution is considered too small.

Last year’s statewide FoodShare campaign raised $10.74 million, down nearly a half million from the previous year, while pounds of food were up a million, at 7.57 million.

The Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches was founded in 1905 with the mission to unite people of faith and serve people in need. In addition to hunger relief services and the annual FoodShare campaign, it offers programs and services in youth development, senior support and more.

Second Harvest Heartland, the nation’s third-largest food bank and one of the biggest nonprofit organizations in the state, last year announced its “moonshot” initiative designed to cut hunger in half for all Minnesotans by 2030. Dubbed Make Hunger History, it plans to achieve the goal by delivering more food to foodbanks, expanding its Care Center to assist more people applying to programs to receive food discounts, increasing fundraising efforts and advocating for investments that will cut costs of other basic living expenses, and more. According to its statewide hunger study completed in partnership with Wilder Research and released in January 2025, 1 in 5 Minnesota households cannot afford the food they need without using discount programs, and another 1 in 5 are worried that they may experience food insecurity within the next year. For more information, visit 2harvest.org.

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