As our executive director, Sophia Lenarz-Coy, recently noted, we continue to live in unprecedented times. More Minnesotans received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds in 2023 than in any year since 2016, and food shelf visits continue to break state records. As we consider these troubling trends and look ahead to 2025, it’s important to remember that behind all of these daunting statistics are people, who will continue to rely on organizations like The Food Group into next year and beyond.
Ashley is one of the many Minnesotans who found herself turning to emergency food programs when she, her husband, and her young child were experiencing homelessness. They were able to find affordable housing but didn’t have enough income to stock her new kitchen. Competing priorities often force folks to make really tough decisions. They were starting over completely from scratch, and the price of food had gone up, but their wages hadn’t yet done the same. While searching for solutions, she found the Open Door Food Pantry, located in Eagan and partner food shelf of The Food Group. There, she learned about our Lived Experience Cohort.
Once a month for six months, the Lived Experience Cohort brought together individuals who have faced food insecurity or received food assistance such as SNAP and WIC with the goal of empowering them to help organizations like ours shape and advance public policy solutions. Ashley became a food access advocate, meeting with her elected leaders and testifying at the state capitol with her story.
“I understand firsthand the challenges of food insecurity,” Ashley told us. “Working with the Lived Experience Cohort, I’ve been able to advocate for policy changes, like those surrounding SNAP, to improve access to food for all.”
Food shelf visits in Minnesota are up 26 percent from last year, and our state is now on track to reach anywhere from 8.5 to 8.8 million visits by the end of 2024. This is about a million more visits than we saw in 2023. And while organizations like The Food Group and Open Door are working tirelessly to rise to the occasion and meet this increasing demand, with inflation and food costs still high many struggle to make ends meet.
“The future of food access is increasingly uncertain,” she said. “It’s becoming harder to secure appointments at food shelves, which is a stark contrast to the past.”
You can support Minnesotans like Ashley. The Food Group is proud to be a part of Ashley’s story and partner to center community voice on creating solutions. A monthly gift is an easy and convenient way to fight local hunger, and your gift of any amount makes a huge difference. Click here to sign up online, and under “type of gift” mark that you would like to make a recurring gift.
“With rising food prices and stagnant wages, it’s clear that many people will continue to struggle to put food on the table,” Ashley said. “We must work together to stretch our resources and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access nutritious food. By sharing my story and working alongside others, we can create a more equitable food system.”
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