As temperatures get colder, more families struggle to put healthy food on the table. Luckily there’s a range of Valley-area organizations stepping up to help stop food insecurity in the region. Here’s where you can pitch in—or get help.
Better Bites of St. Croix Valley
Since 2015, Better Bites of St. Croix Valley has been educating families about the importance—and ease—of incorporating healthy foods into their diet.
Some simply can’t afford to waste food, board member and founding director Karyn English says. “There are more barriers than accessibility,” she says. “If that broccoli goes bad and a low-income family was counting on it, they’re less likely to buy fresh vegetables again.”
The Easy Eats program moves families from receiving frozen meals to ready-to-cook slow-cooker meals to bags of groceries within a year, English explains. People can volunteer, donate ingredients, give financially or purchase pre-made meals to benefit Better Bites.
Hudson Food Shelf at St. Patrick’s
The Hudson Food Shelf began as a group of families giving out food from the trunk of a car to needy families. It’s now stocked and staffed by a rotation of 12 local churches, serving about 120 families on a regular basis. Clients within the Hudson School District can visit monthly, by appointment, and select food based on the number of people in their family and their specific dietary needs and preferences. Donate at County Market and Family Fresh; check the website for details about the Stuff-A-Truck drive this month.
St. Michael’s Food Shelf
Pat Finnegan has been a faithful part of the St. Michael’s Food Shelf for 30-plus years. When her rosary group caught wind of a struggling family, each member brought food to help out. “All kinds of people need help. Younger, older, lots of different circumstances,” Finnegan says. A list of most-needed items is posted online, and donations can be left in the cabinet at the bottom of the parish center steps. The food shelf serves residents within District 834.
United Way St. Croix Valley
Executive director Ann Searles says a big part of the United Way’s mission has been to “bring everyone to the table and find out what the needs are.” When Searles discovered that consistent food storage and access to fresh foods topped the list, the United Way funded the Food Resource Center on Trinity Lutheran Church property. An industrial-size cooler, freezer and warehouse store donations from local businesses for 14 food shelves, homeless shelters, and other organizations to pick up and redistribute. Volunteers and donations are always needed.
Valley Outreach
Valley Outreach began in 1983 as the St. Croix Valley Food Shelf. Today it provides food, clothing and emergency financial assistance to families in need in the Stillwater Area School District. “Our community is not seen as one that requires services, or indeed one that even has services to support those in need. This can be a challenge for fundraising and community awareness,” executive director Tracy Maki says. Community members can give donations of food or clothing, volunteer or give online. //
The holidays are just a month away; consider giving back to a local food shelf this year.
