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Minnesota food shelf demand hits record
The need for services through Minnesota’s various food shelfs has increased in the last two years – surpassing 9 million visits in 2024.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - At a food shelf in Bloomington operated by the non-profit Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), the line for the Friday drive-up service on this late December day stretched around the building.
They say it’s typical, and the demand has only continued to go up.
Food shelf demands
What we know: "The demand is, it’s shocking," Caley Long of VEAP told FOX 9.
They serve about 200 households a day, with reservations filling weeks in advance.
Drive-up service began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued since then on Fridays for those with mobility issues.
"It’s more shocking that it hasn’t abated, and we’re not sure what’s going to bring down the crisis that people are facing right now."
Disheartening record
Background: Minnesota’s food shelf needs dipped slightly in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic-era programs, but has since just kept rising.
In 2023, the state set a record of 7.5 million food shelf visits in a state of 5 million people.
For 2024, that number will be shattered. The projected number will be 9 million visits or higher.
Cost of living increases
What they’re saying: Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, says the cost of everything is stressing grocery budgets.
"Food prices are still up 20%, the cost of rent is up 30%, energy prices are up 30%," O’Toole said. "And it’s stretching. People are having to make really hard decisions about what they pay, and the food budget is always the first to be compromised."
What they’re doing: Second Harvest Heartland set a goal at the start of 2024 to cut Minnesota’s hunger needs in half by the end of the decade. A big push has come from the state capitol, where they lobbied for more funding for anti-poverty programs.
What they’re seeing: The need only keeps rising. VEAP gives out 90 pounds of food per household, about half of that in fresh produce.
But the walk-in pantry is busy every day, and the Friday drive-ups aren’t getting any shorter.
"I think a lot of folks think that the food crisis is not as acute as it was during the pandemic," said VEAP’s Caley Long. "Our demand is through the roof. We’re serving 40% more people than we have during normal operations, and that includes the pandemic."