Lakes Area Food Shelf Joins 2023 Minnesota FoodShares Campaign
Your Dollars and Food Donations Eligible for Match

Lakes Area Food Shelf has joined the MN FoodShare Campaign sponsored by the Minneapolis Council of Churches. The Campaign runs between February 27 and April 9. It’s the largest fundraising and food raising effort in 2023. We invite you to PLEASE participate in one of the following ways:

• As individuals, a financial gift and/or organizing a food drive with your family, at your workplace, or neighborhood.
• As businesses, a corporate contribution, a company-wide fund drive and matching employee gifts.
• As churches, start a food and funding drive among your congregation. Put notices in weekly bulletins, stating, “Please contribute to the Lakes Area Food Shelf March Campaign by making personal contributions and/or donating food items.” Or, participate in the friendly all-church competition started between Grace United Methodist Church and Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Contact us for details!
• As civic organizations, consider making a monetary donation and starting a fund drive within your club.
• As hospitals and clinics, operate in-house food and monetary fund drives. Remember to refer your low-income patients to the food shelf for a wide array of healthy, nutrient-rich fresh produce.
• As a City Council, Township Board, or County Board, we encourage you to make a monetary commitment to the food shelf. In 2022, both the cities of Nisswa and Lake Shore contributed to the Lakes Area Food Shelf.

Your support is essential to help build a strong community.

Frequently, we’re asked if it is more helpful to donate food or financial contributions. While both are important, picking up $10 worth of groceries at the store may mean a head of lettuce and a couple cans of soup. By comparison, we often double and even triple the buying power of a $10 donation, because we order reduced price food from Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. In addition, matching funds are available for monetary donations (the amount determined by the Minneapolis Council of Churches).

In 2021, Lakes Area Food Shelf served 4,657 people. In 2022, we served 10,978. Food-purchase expenses continue to skyrocket, as much as 65%. We provide food for families, children, spouses, and grandparents. And, we connect them to resources to help address barriers preventing them from living productive lives.

Follow This QR Code to Donate Now At https://lakesareafoodshelf.org

While methods of raising food and monetary donations may vary, the impact of your generosity is the same for thousands of our friends and neighbors. They survive.

Impact. A word defined in heartfelt ways by impoverished families who come to Lakes Area Food Shelf.
“My family’s survival.”
“We couldn’t eat if it wasn’t for this place.”
“I have diabetes and my doctor sent me here to get some fresh produce. I sure didn’t expect to see so many choices.”
“I haven’t been able to afford meat for over a year. Last month, I could make my kids hamburgers for the first time since forever. They were so excited. Thank you for being here.

A REMINDER THAT DONATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 27 AND APRIL 9
TO COUNT FOR THE MN FOODSHARE CAMPAIGN MATCH!