Letter: Food shelf donations needed in Mcleod
February 22, 2010 by Staff
Filed under Letters to the Editor
From: Marietta Neumann
McLeod Emergency Food Shelf
It is that time of the year again to appeal for help for the needy households in McLeod County.
March is the month of the statewide Minnesota Food Share Drive that you hear about on radio, TV, and in the papers. What does it mean to us in McLeod County?
About 135 Winsted and Lester Prairie residents have been served so far this year.
This drive is of utmost importance to our local food shelf. The donations that come to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf stay here in the county but we receive cash credit for that amount to be spent strictly on food.
Although it started to be a dollar-for-dollar match, Minnesota Food Share did not receive enough money from the big donors to be able to do this. Now it is a percentage according to the amount received, and the number of households served and the number of pounds of food distributed. Each pound of food is equal to $1.
At this time, the Feinstein Foundation from Rhode Island also awards a cash donation according to the amount received. The drive is also very important to the food shelf as the amount received has to supply the food and personal care items needed until the Halloween drives.
The only other large drive for food during that time is the Cub Scout drive in April. The summer months are the time of great need as the children are home from school and many are not receiving the one hot meal a day that for many, is the only meal for the day. Almost 10,000 children had breakfast before they went to school because of your concern.
In 2009, there was over a 20 percent increase in usage over 2008 and is still increasing in numbers of households served. Of the 3,111 households served, 400 never had to use the food shelf before; many of them were over 70 years of age.
All donations are tax deductible, with donated items being considered $1 a pound. Every donation, however large or small, is very important to help feed many need households and is greatly appreciated.
We appreciate all the past donations.
