Instead of candy-filled basket deliveries this Easter, Knights of Columbus made deliveries with food-packed vehicles to the Melrose Area Food Shelf after its fourth annual food drive.
The “40 Cans for 40 Days” drive, hosted by the St. Joseph the Worker Knight of Columbus Council from the parishes of Sacred Heart in Freeport, St. Rose of Lima in St. Rosa and Immaculate Conception in New Munich, encourages the practice of almsgiving by recommending participants set aside one non-perishable food item every day during Lent.
“Many people take for granted the amount of food they have and often don’t realize how great the need is,” said. Richard Sand, grand knight for the council.
The items collected at the parishes are brought to the Melrose Area Food Shelf after Easter.
When Sand has delivered the food in past years, the food shelf is always “appreciative and pleased to receive the donations.”
The Melrose Area Food Shelf provides food for approximately 5,300 individuals annually and in 2024, 95,716 pounds of food were distributed. There is constant need for food and monetary donations.
“We do get the bulk of our foods from Second Harvest, a program funded by the state of Minnesota, but we are getting all kinds of messages that we do not know what will happen to the program, and that is scary,” said Lisa Leen, food shelf coordinator. “Food drives help us tremendously. All area churches and grade schools have been wonderful in remembering us. We are very blessed with lots of wonderful donations.”
Annually, approximately 250 pounds of food is donated. This year the drive yielded 212 pounds and $200 in cash donations to impact the community.
Leen has served in her role for nearly four years and sees the need for their services increasing.
“We are getting more and more families regularly and we serve a very diverse population,” said Leen. “Thankfully, so far we are able to give people what they need and will use and very little goes to waste.”
Although pleased with the results from the drive, Sand knows the need for support doesn’t end once the donation boxes are stowed away after Lent.
“For those that aren’t in need, it can be easy to believe everybody has the same access [to food] they have,” Sand said. “Those that have must be continually aware of the need [for food donations] and be willing to share with those who don’t.”