Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud and Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless announce a food shelf challenge grant, benefiting Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf, throughout the month of July.
In partnership with Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Open Your Heart’s Summer Challenge makes it possible for Minnesota food shelves to restock and distribute fresh and frozen foods during this difficult time of year.
Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will proportionally match donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf during the month of July, up to $4,000, to help end food insecurity in the St. Cloud area. The more funds raised in July toward the food shelf, the larger the matching grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be.
“In a normal summer, we see an increase in child visits during the summer,” said Sue Hanks, Catholic Charities Emergency Services program manager. “When school is out for summer vacation, many children miss out on free school meals and their families turn to us for support. This summer, between the kids being home from school and more families experiencing economic hardship due to inflation, soaring food and gas prices, and the impacts of expiring COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, we are seeing a greater level of need.”
Since 1986, Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless has targeted millions of dollars to strategically fight hunger in Minnesota. It funds the purchase and transfer of more than 1 million pounds of fresh produce, meat and dairy products to food shelves every year. The program also provides grants for food shelves and food banks to get the equipment they need such as freezers, shelving and trucks, to be able to serve the growing number of Minnesotans who can’t afford enough food for their families.
Donations to Catholic Charities Food Shelf can be made online at www.ccstcloud.org/donate.