Greater Twin Cities United Way has launched an emergency food relief campaign, warning that demand for help is spiking as the availability of federal food assistance remains in question.
Calls to the organization’s 211 helpline about food have risen 82% in recent weeks — a sign, leaders say, of growing anxiety as the federal shutdown drags on.
“This is a crisis,” said John Wilgers, the organization’s president and chief executive. “Families are making impossible choices between groceries, rent and medicine.”
The United Way’s campaign is part of a broader effort across Minnesota to prepare for what could be one of the most significant hunger emergencies in years.
The federal shutdown has threatened November payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that roughly 440,000 Minnesotans use to pay for groceries. A federal court ruling on Friday directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to report on Monday about contingency funding that could be used to finance November benefits. State agencies have said some SNAP benefits will be available this month. However, the benefits would likely only be partial, and it’s not clear when they will get to recipients.
Local governments and food shelves are scrambling to fill the gap if that happens.
United Way says many of those affected are working Minnesotans who earn too much to qualify for most assistance but not enough to cover basic needs. The organization has already distributed $105,000 in emergency grants to partners including Route 1, The Peoples’ Market and The Food Group to move food faster to families in need.
In Dakota County, The Open Door food shelf — which serves more than 22,000 people each month — is preparing to expand its distributions ahead of an expected spike in demand. More than 10,000 residents there could lose food assistance.
