On July 28th I received a call from Cara McLain, Food Shelf Program Director at Valley Outreach. They had set a new daily record and had distributed over 4,000 lbs of food to families in need. As Marna Canterbury, Executive Director of United Way Washington County East eloquently put it this afternoon "These are not the kind of records we want to be setting".
In speaking with Executive Director Kate Krisik today, Valley Outreach has been giving out between 45,000 to 50,000 lbs of food a month.
Our challenge to our volunteers, garden students, corporate sponsors, corporate volunteers... please do whatever you can to help Valley Outreach.
Do you have a home garden or community garden that has excess produce? Are your neighbors no longer needing your gifts of zucchini and tomatoes? Valley Outreach and other food shelves would love to take them off of your hands....
I've contacted local media as well, and hopefully, we can bring to light the desperate need for donations during the summer. If the 4,000 lb day is any indication, the need is substantial.
Valley Outreach
Phone: 651-430-2739
E-Mail: info@valleyoutreachmn.org
1911 Curve Crest Blvd. West
Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
In an email from Marna this afternoon, I share the following:
"...... It is heartbreaking that person or families resources are so scarce that they struggle to have enough food, and go hungry. It is a most basic human need and the demands on our local Valley Outreach food shelf are growing tremendously.
We have seen that hunger is often a barometer of the rising needs under the surface for our neighbors who are struggling. The people and families experiencing hunger and turns to a food shelf often come with multiple other needs. Underlying issues including housing, chronic illness, or disability, or the costs of health care can drain a person’s resources…leaving them financially unstable, and also hungry.
·United Way supports the needs for food, housing, health care and stability for our neighbors through funding more than 50 essential programs including the important work being done by Valley Outreach. United Way also support:
We have seen that hunger is often a barometer of the rising needs under the surface for our neighbors who are struggling. The people and families experiencing hunger and turns to a food shelf often come with multiple other needs. Underlying issues including housing, chronic illness, or disability, or the costs of health care can drain a person’s resources…leaving them financially unstable, and also hungry.
·United Way supports the needs for food, housing, health care and stability for our neighbors through funding more than 50 essential programs including the important work being done by Valley Outreach. United Way also support:
· Local volunteer transportation programs to make sure that our elders can access services, or food, even if they cannot drive.
· Affordable, healthy foods can help stretch the food budgets for all through the Fare for All discounted shopping program every month in Stillwater where anyone can purchase produce and meat products at greatly reduced prices.
The time to reach out to our neighbors is now. Food is needed now. Volunteers are needed for many programs including volunteer drivers so people access services. Financial support is needed to meet all these growing and interconnected needs, with a focus on long term ways to help people have stable lives again."
United Way of Washington County-East
Building Better Lives in Stillwater
and the heart ofWashington County
and the heart of
651-439-3838 http://www.buildbetterlives.org/
Thank you...
