Food shelves see record demand as Minnesotans struggle to afford groceries

Theresa Jones was one of roughly 2,000 people who stopped by Union Gospel Mission this week for a free turkey and bag of groceries. In recent years, the turkey pickup has become part of how she makes it through the holiday.

“Since COVID, it’s been really getting stressful,” said Jones, 62, of Inver Grove Heights, who can’t always keep up with the costs of rent, food and the car she needs to get to her St. Paul job. “I was considered median-income and now I’m considered low-income, because I can’t afford nothing.”

The number of people struggling to afford to eat has climbed over the past decade and Minnesota is on track for its third consecutive year of record-breaking visits to food shelves. The state is likely to see close to 9 million food shelf visits by the end of this year, about 1.5 million more than last year. Rising prices have driven more people, particularly seniors, to seek help.

This week, Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state will use $5 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help food shelves that are straining to meet the high demand. The COVID-era act provided resources communities needed to bounce back from the pandemic, he said, and the state has to commit any remaining dollars before the end of the year.

“That recovery still continues for many families,” Walz said. “They are still behind, they are still trying to make do.”

Food shelves will get the money early next year, said Sophia Lenarz-Coy, executive director of the Food Group, a Twin Cities nonprofit that will distribute the dollars.

The sharp growth in food costs that walloped families during the pandemic slowed this year. Food prices overall are expected to increase 2.3% in 2024, and food from grocery stores and supermarkets — not including restaurant purchases — is expected to climb only 1.2%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But that comes on the heels of big increases. Food prices rose by nearly 10% in 2022, the fastest growth in more than 40 years, and increased 5.8% last year.

“While we hear in the news how inflation is coming down, the piece that’s buried in that is [it’s] coming down from crazy high levels,” Lenarz-Coy said. “So it’s not as though that really is going to be felt quickly.”

At Union Gospel Mission, people looking for assistance said housing and food prices were squeezing their budgets, and easily rattled off lists of foods that feel increasingly unaffordable. Staples like eggs, bread, milk and various kinds of meat felt far more expensive than they used to be, several families said.

Volunteers loaded cars with turkeys, potatoes and bags containing rice, stuffing and dessert mixes, canned green beans and other foods. Recipients had to register to pick up the food, and Union Gospel Mission Community Relations Director Sarah Peterka said their registration filled up faster than ever this year.

While recent national economic reports show solid growth, consumer spending and employment, lower-income Minnesotans continue to struggle, said Pam Johnson, director of policy and advocacy for Minnesota Community Action Partnership, which provides services to address poverty.

“Despite the fact that the economy was actually doing better numbers-wise, it just didn’t trickle down to everybody,” Johnson said. “Yeah, there might be more jobs, but our folks are working two or three of them, and so they go to the food banks to supplement what they have.”

She has heard increased concerns about older adults having a hard time affording food and housing.

Jones, who relies on food banks occasionally when her bills outweigh her income, said she anticipates she will work for the rest of her life. She said things are even more difficult for her sister and brother-in-law, who are on a fixed income. Her sister gets Social Security Disability Insurance and her brother-in-law receives Social Security.

“They can afford their rent and their car insurance,” Jones said. “Other than that, she can barely afford to do her laundry. She can barely afford to buy food.”

Minnesota lawmakers have boosted food aid for families with kids in recent years, including the free school meals program that debuted last year. Walz said at Monday’s event announcing the extra food shelf funding that, in his upcoming budget proposal, “we’ll continue to make sure that’s fully funded and fully operational.”

As state leaders develop Minnesota’s next budget, some anti-hunger advocates said they will be pushing to ensure that seniors also can access food.

Lenarz-Coy said they want to join other states that have a “senior bonus” in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit, also known as food stamps. They want to raise the minimum monthly benefit from $23 to $50 for people 60 or older.

The backdrop to that effort is uncertainty about potential changes or cuts the Trump administration could make to SNAP. For every meal distributed through Minnesota food shelves, nine meals are provided through SNAP, Lenarz-Coy said.

“When we’re looking at the average SNAP benefit being $5.16 per person per day, it’s not a place to look for cuts,” she said.