South St. Paul

Page 8 Omnifest returns

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Record-high demand at local food shelves

Minnesota FoodShare campaign aims to lend a hand

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Neighbors, Inc. is among the approximately 300 food shelves across Minnesota participating in the annual Minnesota FoodShare campaign, an initiative of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Food shelves are competing to see which can raise the most food and money through April 9. The campaign offers an added boost because the Council of Churches will donate a proportionate amount of funds to each food shelf, based on how much it raises.

While these organizations rely on donations throughout the year, they are especially needed this time of year as the nonprofits restock after the holidays and prepare for the busy summer months ahead.

Numbers show that the need for donations at food shelves in our readership area are at an all-time high. Neighbors, Inc., 222 Grand Ave., South St. Paul, serves residents in northern Dakota County. In the past year, its food shelf has seen about 2,000 visits per month, a significant increase compared to the 500 it saw during busy months in

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