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Area food shelves have been experiencing a return of food insecurity to the levels of when the pandemic began.

The “Tuesday Crew” volunteers at the White Bear Area Food Shelf helped serve 134 households on a recent Tuesday evening. With rising food costs, the WBAFS is seeing an increase in families visiting the food shelf.

Area food shelves have been experiencing a return of food insecurity to the levels of when the pandemic began.

The “Tuesday Crew” volunteers at the White Bear Area Food Shelf helped serve 134 households on a recent Tuesday evening. With rising food costs, the WBAFS is seeing an increase in families visiting the food shelf.

Many food shelves in the North Metro are seeing the number of visitors continue to increase and are struggling to keep up with demand. That’s a trend that likely isn’t going to go away anytime soon. 

“What we have been experiencing has been a return of food insecurity to the levels of when the pandemic began,” said Perry Petersen, executive director of the White Bear Area Food Shelf (WBAFS). “Some of the larger agencies that we work with, Hunger Solutions, Second Harvest, the Food Group, have indicated that it’s going to get worse heading into the fall and this winter.

  Petersen said WBAFS has seen the need and prices go up, while financial support for the food shelf has gone down. From 2019 to 2020, the food shelf doubled its number of visitors. In 2021, thanks to the increase of federal, state and local programs that kicked in to offer support to those in need, the food shelf saw a temporary dip in its numbers.

  “We are up 36% in visitors from 2021. We are seeing similar to what we saw in 2020,” Petersen said. WBAFS has also seen a dip in financial donations. “We are about 20% below our budgeted income in donations,” Petersen said.

  Due to the increased demand, the WBAFS has had to shift to a curbside program, so clients are not permitted within the building to shop. “In July, we saw 95 visits per day to the curbside programming … There is a line into our parking lot to be able to receive services.” For that reason, the food shelf is looking into adding a second location. “That would be a game-changer for us,” Petersen said.

  In an effort to reach more clients, WBAFS has also expanded its delivery program. It partners with Door Dash to bring food, free of charge, to people who are unable to get to the nonprofit’s building.

  During the pandemic, the two main issues were dealing with COVID-19 and all of the protocols that go along with that, as well as staffing. “Now it is really about (whether) we can get the food, if we can afford the food, and if we have the funds and facility to do it,” Petersen explained.

  It has become increasingly more difficult to source food. Although the local grocery stores have been generous to the food shelf, Petersen says food available through food banks like Second Harvest and the Food Group is not as abundant as it used to be.

  The Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf (HGNFS) has also seen an increase in the number of families visiting the food shelf. “Our client volume is well over double what it was at this time last year,” said Chris DuFresne, president of the HGNFS. “We continue to see more clients who are employed and need help making ends meet with food due to the increased cost of food, gas, child care and home energy.”

  Due to supply chain issues, DuFresne explained it has been hard to source some food items, similar to what grocery stores are facing. The food shelf has also had to purchase more food because it isn’t getting as much food through food rescue programs from its grocery store partners. In addition, the types of items available through Second Harvest and other food banks has become limited.

  Sheri Hanson, president of the Centennial Community Food Shelf (CCFS) board, said CCFS has had a hard time keeping its supply of basic needs, including eggs, milk, butter, flour and sugar. Keeping a good stock of a variety of meats and snack items has also been difficult. In order to supplement their stock, food shelf volunteers have had to shop at area grocery stores and purchase the items for a higher price tag since they aren’t always able to get them through Second Harvest or the Food Group. She added that the partnership the food shelf has with six grocery stores for food rescue has also been “a godsend.”

  Hanson explained the food shelf continues to see new clients it has never served before. “Some people have had to choose … Sometimes they can’t afford the gas to get to the food shelf.” She added that the county has some transportation programs in place if people need a ride to the food shelf. CCFS also conducts a minimal number of deliveries, mainly to seniors who can no longer drive or find a ride to the food shelf.

  For the first time since the pandemic began, CCFS is planning to once again offer holiday meal baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. During the pandemic, the food shelf had to scale back its number of volunteers, but more volunteers will be needed for the one-day distribution events later this fall and winter.

Managing Editor Shannon Granholm can be reached at 651-407-1227 or quadnews@presspubs.com. 

White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf - whitebearfoodshelf.org

Ralph Reeder Food Shelf - moundsviewschools.org/foodshelf

Centennial Community Food Shelf - www.centennialfoodshelf.org

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