After months of planning, anticipation, meetings, training and a bit of apprehension, the first Ruby’s Pantry food distribution took place on Monday, July 13.
To say that our volunteers were overwhelmed by the community response would be an understatement. Almost 1,000 people waited patiently in a line that stretched from the front door of Backus along Ninth Avenue almost to Third Street. Five hundred forty “guests” made $20 donations and received a portion of the 20,712 pounds of surplus food delivered by Ruby’s Pantry. One hundred ten volunteers worked in the areas of registration, data entry, truck unloading, set-up, food line, carry-out, security, parking, cardboard breakdown and clean-up. A number of volunteers worked from 2 p.m. until after 9 p.m.
Many of our volunteers were literally exhausted by the end of the evening. I talked with several of them the next day who spoke very emotionally about the experience. Lyn Saar, the director of Home and Away Ministries, which sponsors 60 distribution sites throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, spoke with our volunteers just prior to beginning the food distribution. He told us this would be an emotional experience for many of the guests and for us. He said that many of the people we would be distributing food to often don’t see this much food at one time. Pastor Cory Rintala offered a brief prayer and blessing and the distribution began.
Hot and humid weather made waiting in line arduous and tiring. Registration, which is required only once a year, was speeded up a bit by having volunteers circulate though the line registering people ahead of time. Sue Olson kept people informed and entertained in the Backus Auditorium while they waited for their numbers to be called and everything considered – the evening went fairly well.
Our volunteers received numerous “thank yous” during the evening and people seemed appreciative for the food they received. The following day or two saw some negative comments on Facebook pages with many community members responding positively to the experience and rebutting most of the negative comments. The community seemed to embrace the project and respond positively to the effort made to bring “Ruby’s Pantry” to our community. Indeed, Ruby’s Pantry is a community project and not a Backus project.
All citizens are invited and encouraged to participate in Ruby’s Pantry. If you get hungry or put food on the table at home – you qualify for Ruby’s. The project is an attempt to deal with the immense food waste problem in our country. Forty percent of the food produced in the U.S. is wasted at a cost of $165 billion per year and this in a nation where 15-20 percent of the population experiences some degree of food insecurity. The program is for everyone regardless of income or economic status.
About Ruby’s Pantry: Guests are asked to make a $20 cash donation and in return they receive one “share” of food – approximately two large boxes, totes or laundry baskets. The amount and variety of food you receive will vary from month to month depending upon what Ruby’s is able to secure from corporate food producers. Ruby’s does not pay for the food and they receive no government support. If this food was not distributed – it would end up, at a financial cost to producers, in a landfill or dump. The program is run with the $20 donations only.
Dates on food are not required by the government. They do not mean the food has “expired” or is no longer eatable. They are placed there by the retail food industry and make reference to: “sell by” or “best if used by,” etc. The only food item the U.S. government requires an expiration date on is infant formula.
For the $20 donation guests receive “an abundance of food.” Everyone may not receive the same variety or exact amount. During the course of the evening our “line coordinators” will make several calculations based on the amount of food left and the number of people in line and adjust the number of a particular item that is given out. Our object is to give out all the food by the end of the evening. Remaining food is given to churches through “benevolence boxes” or given to organizations such as the food shelf, Salvation Army, social service agencies or to meal programs. The volunteers do not get to take the food home.
Ninty percent of the $20 donation goes to Ruby’s Pantry to support the program. Even though the food is not paid for – Ruby’s incurs huge costs to get the food to distribution sites. Two warehouses, 10 semi trucks, 20 plus trailers and a staff of 30 procure the food, inventory it, load the trucks, drive the trucks and distribute the food to 60 sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ten percent of the funds stay in the community to be used by the local committee for benevolence or charitable purposes. This week two $500 checks were given to two local organizations to help meet the needs of persons in our community.
Both local grocery store owners/managers were informed about Ruby’s Pantry almost two months prior to the first distribution and both were supportive of the program. Ruby’s staff tells us that in most communities where the Pantry operates – the distribution day is one of the busiest days at local grocers.
Again, we encourage everyone to participate; if not for yourself, perhaps for a relative, friend or neighbor. Ruby’s helps store surplus food where it belongs – in the stomachs of people. Based on July’s turnout we obviously have a need for the program. By taking part you help ensure the program will be here for everyone and that some extra dollars will go to benefit a variety of unmet needs in our community.
Ruby’s Pantry takes place on the second Monday of each month at the Backus Community Center. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. and distribution begins at 5 p.m.
Rep. Rick Nolan
The Department of Veterans Affairs employs more than 100,000 military veterans across the nation, and every one of them would be in danger of losing their jobs – without Constitutional due process and appeal – under a bill (H.R. 1994) passed by Republicans last week. The measure stands to make an already bad situation at the VA even worse by inviting retaliation against whistleblowers who have drawn attention to scandals and mismanagement in the VA healthcare system.
Make no mistake – bad employees need to be removed from the VA. To that end, I voted for a substitute permitting the VA Secretary to immediately suspend any employee whose performance or misconduct is a threat to health or safety. Our measure also included strong protections for legitimate whistleblowers who seek to protect veterans and the public. Unfortunately, our substitute was defeated.
I am absolutely committed to addressing the underlying systematic problems at the VA that have served to deny our heroes the best medical care a grateful nation can provide. However, eliminating due process and the Constitutional rights of VA employees – including 100,000 military veterans – is not the way to do it. The White House has indicated the President would probably veto the bill if it reaches his desk – and that’s exactly what he should do.
Disrespect for the resources we value should not be tolerated.
The Minnesota Deaprtment of Natural Resources is asking citizens to help them protect our valuable resources by reporting people who appear to be exceeding legal limits of fish and game.
These resources belong to all of us and when a few disregard that by taking more than their fair share, they ought to be called to task and pay the consequences.
Are we asking people to be snitches? You bet.
Consider a recent case that involved six people possessing 676 mostly sunfish and crappies. The legal possession limit per person is 10 crappies and 20 sunfish, respectively.
And then there’s something some of us in Borderland have probably heard about. It’s called “double tripping” and it’s illegal. It’s when anglers catch their limit, return to shore to clean and store the fish and then go out to catch and keep more fish the same day.
Now, there’s a case of “tripple tripping” on a hot crappie bite. This angler caught his limit in the morning, at lunch and again after dinner. The angler had also caught and kept his limit once the day before. When all was said and done and the DNR conservation officer counted, the angler possessed 30 crappies over the limit.
Anglers must know the rules before heading out. The possession limit for most species is the same as the daily limit. For example, if you take a limit of 10 crappies, you may not take more that day, and you may not take more crappies on subsequent days if those fish combined with remaining crappies at home exceeds the 10-crappie limit. The possession limit applies to any fish at the lake, at the cabin and at home.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, even though we’re sure COs hear “I didn’t know” frequently.
Lean the laws.The 2015 Minnesota Fishing Regulations Handbook is available online or can be obtained from any fishing license vendor, as well as many outdoor retailers. More information about fishing regulations is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/fishmn.
And report game and fish violations to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 800-652-9093. Cell phone users can dial #TIP. Informants can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
Minnesotans are known for their love of fishing and their connection to the outdoors. We need to work together with COs to keep those few who disrespect our resources and other Minnesotan’s privilege to hunt and fish from impacting our enjoyment of these precious resources in the future.
