March is MN FoodShare Month

It’s March, and that means it’s time for the annual Minnesota FoodShare Campaign. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the grassroots food and fund drive, which aims to fight food insecurity and poverty at the local level.

Western Communities Action Network (WeCAN) in Mound helps fight local hunger via its unique Mobile Market, which delivers food directly to low-income residents who have barriers to accessing a traditional food shelf. WeCAN also supplies paper products, personal care items and cleaning supplies to clients in need. In 2020, WeCAN distributed nearly 8,400 products to over 1,300 individuals.

The March Campaign offers the opportunity for agencies like WeCAN to earn a proportional match for all of the financial contributions and product donations, including food, paper products, cleaning supplies and personal care items, which are received during the campaign which runs from March 1 through April 11.

Financial donations allow WeCAN the greatest flexibility in buying what they need each week to serve their clients. Memberships in local food banks allow WeCAN to purchase products at a significant discount – in fact WeCAN can purchase $9 in food for every $1 in donations.

But product donations keep the shelves stocked and often give clients more choices. So to keep the campaign fresh during the six-week run, Program Coordinator Emily Graupmann came up with a schedule for each week focused on a particular need. Any and all donations are welcome throughout the campaign, however.

Week 1 focuses on “Suppa Time” main meal ingredients and staples. Gift cards to grocery and drug stores are used for emergency assistance and are the focus for Week 2. “House and Hygiene” in Week 3 will focus on collections of personal care items and cleaning supplies. According to mom, the “Most Important Meal of the Day” is breakfast, so Week 4 zeroes in on breakfast foods. The campaign wraps up in Weeks 5 and 6 with the “Last Hurrah” when anything goes!

“Everyone appreciates variety and that’s what we try to offer to our clients,” said Graupmann. “Your support of this important campaign will ensure that we can continue to meet our clients’ needs in the months to come.”

Financial donations can be made on the WeCAN website, wecanmn.org or via mail, 5213 Shoreline Drive, Mound, MN 55364. Product donations can be dropped off during regular WeCAN hours, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.