The Verndale area food shelf is in need of funds. You can help.
The Verndale area food shelf is in need of funds. You can help.
Verndale Area Food shelf is in need of monetary funding
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Verndale Area Food Shelf is in dire need of your help. Their funds are depleted.
The food shelf has been open since 2013, and their funds have never been this low.
“Our use is up. Funds have not been depleted to this extent before,” said Director Deb Nelson.
The Open Your Heart campaign in July only raised $100.
The funds they raise are strictly used to purchase food. Some of the most common items purchased are peanut butter, canned fruit, eggs, juice, meat—the basics.
“Monetary donations have been down quite a bit this year,” said Nelson.
The food shelf helps 40-60 families per month. They distribute an average of 3,300 pounds of food monthly. With a typical monthly budget of $800-$1200, all funds go towards the purchase of food from North Country Food Bank, and local food wholesalers.
If monetary donations stop coming in, inventory will be very limited.
Nelson recently procured several 8-10 pound boneless turkeys from Jennie-O for Thanksgiving, but fears there may not be enough food for Christmas.
They do receive food donations, but it is mostly snack foods.
“If someone donates $10, I can get 20 pounds of food. If someone brought $10 worth of food, it’s usually two to three items,” she explained.
Monetary donations are necessary to purchase items of nutritional value for families in need in Verndale and the surrounding communities.
They are open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. They are now open on the first Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m.
Donate online at sites.google.com/view/verndaleareafoodshelf. Click the donate tab.
Mail monetary donations to 402 NE Clark Drive, Verndale, MN 56481 or by texting the word ‘give’ to 763-645-5924.
They can be reached by phone at: 218-451-9768 or by email at VerndaleAreaFoodShelf@gmail.com. You can also follow them on Facebook.