Thanks to efforts from churches, schools, community groups and companies, such as Border State Bank in International Falls once again, the Falls Hunger Coalition was on the verge Thursday of reaching its most ambitious goal to date in its role in the 2013 statewide March Minnesota FoodShare Campaign, food shelf leaders said.
“This is awesome,” said Falls Hunger Coalition Executive Director Nancy Anderson on Tuesday as Border State Bank employees and volunteers Libby Swenson and Molly Bragg brought in 653.69 pounds of food and delivered an $8,250.63 check their own people had collected or contributed for Koochiching County's main food shelf at 1000 Fifth St.
As of Thursday morning – with two official days left and still a few more pledged donations and the mail yet to arrive -- the food shelf was only 3,000 pounds and/or dollars away from reaching its goal of a combined 50,000, said coalition Assistant Director Brittany Rognerud.
Last year, the Falls Hunger Coalition brought in about $29,000 in donations and another 19,657 pounds of food. The coalition served more than 6,700 county residents, all in the county, Rognerud said.
Rognerud said on the surface it appears as though they did as well as 2012, but in truth, this year they collected the most cash they ever have before by far for the food shelf's biggest collection month of the year: $46,708.11.
The month is so important in large part because Minnesota Foodshare matches a percentage of the funds and food as well using a complex statewide participation formula. The important thing is that the numbers of people they will be able to help will just continue to go up -- and the need is there, Rognerud said.
“The really important part the community is really starting to understand is we can do more with monetary donations during this food drive because of matching dollars from Minnesota FoodShare and our ability to pay about 33 cents on the dollar for food throughout the year using Second Harvest (out of Duluth),” Rognerud said.
Food received is still very happily accepted, she said, and can be doubled pound for pound after last month.
“People are starting to get it and not just that but also have fun with it,” Rognerud said. “We had schools competing against each other, Border State Bank once again was the weigh-in sight and matched up $1,000 of donations, which they did in about a week. Even a weight loss group gave us a dollar for every pound they lost.”
UnitedHealth Group also donated $2,500 during the kickoff campaign, the Coffee Landing Cafe was a hub of activity as was “just about every congregation,” she said.
The sea change of money over food – and especially overall community awareness of the March food drive – clearly is happening, Rognerud said. The numbers prove it. For instance, the effort raised $10,000 more last year than it had in 2011, she noted.
“It is so exciting to see what is happening with funding,” Rognerud said.
Border State Bank President David Hebig thanked everyone involved on every level and said “ultimately the winners are the many people throughout our community who will have a warm meal on their table.”
Border State Bank employees even provided soup and salad lunches in exchange for $5 employee donations, held two bake sales for staff and customers and sold brats to customers one day. Employees also could pay $5 to wear jeans on Fridays.
“We were amazed by the donations that came in and the community support for Falls Hunger Coalition,” wrote Bragg in an email to The Journal. “We’ve partnered with the Falls Hunger Coalition with this fundraiser since 2004, and we couldn’t be more proud to announce that this was a record breaking year at Border State Bank.”
One of the major benefits of Minnesota FoodShare, Anderson said, is that the program is part of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Its connections, networks as well as the money invested in developing the themes, emails notices, commercials and posters of “Be the Hero. Fight Hunger” seemed to be everywhere, proponents said.
And it's not over yet, she wanted to emphasize. People can deliver food or mail or send financial donations via the Internet to the Falls Hunger Coalition for all of April, too, she pleaded. The site is www.fallshunger.org.
Throughout all of this month, the Falls Hunger Coalition is partnering with the national Alan Feinstein Foundation.
Since 1991, the philanthropist's “Help End Hunger in America Campaign” spreads out $1 million in matching grants to about 1,800 food shelves, congregations and other “hunger fighting organizations,” according to his website, www.feinsteinfoundation.org.
Rognerud said Second Harvest is responsible for so much good. It can buy in even greater bulk than any group, supporters said, through its devoted staff, compilation of fundraising campaigns, foundations, private grants, church partners, government programs, volunteers and other caring individuals.
Falls Hunger Coalition also offers programs such as emergency housing and fresh-food vouchers. Call 283-8020, or go online for details.
