You Can Help!
Every day, hundreds of people are hurting and in need. The Caring Effect was established to bring you awareness about those in need and provide you with ways to help. Click on one of the categories to the right to find out more about what we do.
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Feeding the Hungry
In the past 4 years, the number of people using food shelves in Minnesota has risen 45%, according to a survey administered by Second Harvest Heartland.
Food is often something we take for granted, until we don’t have it. Next time you stop at the grocery store, pick up a couple of extra items to drop by your local food shelf and help fill the cupboards of someone in your community.
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- 48.8 million Americans—lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. They live in food-insecure households and as a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year. (Source: Share Our Strength)
- 16.2 million kids in America struggle with hunger. (Source: USDA Household Food Security in the United States)
- More than 1 in 10 Seniors live in poverty in the US. (Source: Second Harvest Heartland)
- Last year, Second Harvest Food Bank distributed over 31 million pounds to food banks, it was a record year. (Source: Second Harvest Heartland)
Teach Kids About Hunger Issues
Try this month-long fun and educational project that helps your whole family be more aware of hunger issues and raise money for a good cause. You can begin any day you choose, and it requires only a few minutes each day. Here's how it works:
- Place an empty bowl at your table to remind you of those who go without nutritious food each day.
- Each day, count something in your home, such as the number of stuffed animals you own, the number of coats in your closet, or the number of socks in your drawers. You and your kids can come up with your own list of items to count, or find a list of ideas in the book Doing Good Together: 101 Easy, Meaningful Service Projects for Families, Schools and Communities by Jenny Friedman and Jolene Roehlkepartain.
- Put a coin in the empty bowl for each item counted.
At the end of 30 days, donate the coins you collected to a hunger relief organization or your local food shelf.
Make sandwiches
Buy ingredients for 100 or more sandwiches-meat and cheese without condiments is best, then assemble and deliver them to a local homeless shelter. Contact Simpson Housing Services www.simpsonhousing.org, Our Saviour’s Housing www.oshousing.org or 363 www.363days.org for guidelines about making sandwiches, quantity and delivery.
Repackage goods to help food shelves
Looking for a fun project for a group of families to dig into? Buy cost-effective bulk quantities of pinto beans or rice, then downsize them into family-size portions to be distributed to low-income families. You will need to purchase pinto beans and/or rice and 2-quart reclosable plastic bags (like Ziploc). You will also need food handling gloves. Contact your local food shelf or homeless shelter to see what quantities are needed.
Food Shelf Volunteers
Neighborhood House Food Shelf
Date/Time: Shifts are available Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm or 1-4pm
Location: 179 Robie Street East,Saint Paul
Friendly volunteers in our food shelf are needed to shop with families based on their household size and sort and stock food from various generous donations. Our food shelf is open every day, so there is lots of availability!
Ages: All ages, but an adult must accompany children under 14
Time Commitment: Three-hour shifts
Contact: Riley Karbon, 651.789.3626, rkarbon@neighb.org www.neighb.org
Assemble Grocery Kits
Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA)
Date/Time: Flexible
Location: 3433 Broadway St. NE, Suite 300,Minneapolis
With your donation, you will be able to offer a family or senior meals that will bridge the gap of hunger in our community. Our Public Health Nurses work closely with families and seniors to help them obtain food security. Grocery kits Include:
- 2 Canned Soups
- 2 Applesauce Cups
- 1 Box of Pasta
- 1 Pasta Sauce
- 2 Mac and Cheese style boxed dinners
- 1 Jar of Peanut Butter
- 1 Canned Tuna
- 1 Canned Vegetable
- 1 Canned Beans
- 1 Canned Fruit
- 1 Box of Cereal (Unsweetened Type)
Please make sure that items are not expired and are unopened. You may also want to include a Cub or Rainbow Gift Card to assist family in obtaining perishable item
Ages: All ages can participate
Time Commitment: Flexible
Contact: Michelle Lichtig, 612.617.4658 www.mvna.org
Safe House Make A Meal
Lutheran Social Service, Metro Homeless Youth Programs
Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity, pre-schedule one or more dates to deliver a meal. Meals are needed Monday-Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday & Sunday at 6pm
Location: Midway area ofSt. Paul
Prepare a nutritious and delicious meal off-site for around 8 hungry young adults and drop it off at our thirty-day emergency shelter for homeless youth ages 16-20. The shelter provides a friendly, safe environment where youth living on the streets can begin the road to healthy, productive lives. This is a great opportunity to involve the whole family and to teach children about meal planning, nutrition and giving back to others. All meals must be prescheduled.
Ages: All ages are welcome but children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Time Commitment: One time or ongoing
Contact: Annie Harm, annie.harm@lssmn.org or 651.470.8801 www.lssmn.org
Organize a Food Drive
Organizing a food drive can be a great family project. Here are the steps to get started:
¨ Set a goal: How many items or pounds of food do you hope to collect? When will the collection be complete?
¨ Decide whom to involve. Think about collecting in your neighborhood, among your friends, or in your school or workplace.
¨ Advertise! Ensure success by sending emails and making phone calls to family and friends, writing letters, making posters or fliers, posting on our Facebook page, or putting an ad in your local paper.
¨ Ask your local food shelf for a list of most needed items and send it out to your friends and family.
¨ Make it as easy as possible for potential contributors to donate. Decide whether folks are responsible for dropping off the items or whether you'll do pick up. Be certain you have a place to store the food until you can deliver it.
¨ Take a camera along when you drop off the items at the food shelf, and then send the photo to everyone who participated, thanking them for their donations. Tell them how much you collected, too.
¨ Note what you learned and what you'd do differently. Then plan your next collection drive!
Ideas Submitted by:
Greater Lake Country Food Bank
Catholic Charities Meal Service
Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners
Upcoming Show
Youth Mentoring: Be the Positive Influence on Our Future!Volunteering as a mentor strengthens community through fostering positive relationships with youth which provides support, boosts confidence and encourages good decision making for a lifelong impact in a young person’s life.
Research shows that youth spending time with a caring adult mentor regularly for at least one year are:
- 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs
- 27% less likely to start drinking
- 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
- 37% less likely to skip a class
- More trusting of their parents or guardians
(Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters by Public/Private Ventures 1995)
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