Minnesota families have reported their monthly food assistance dropping from $800 to $200, putting more pressure on household budgets as local food organizations face growing demand, according to Open Cupboard executive director Jessica Francis.
At Today's Harvest, visits increased about 10%, according to KSTP.
Here's what to know
Today's Harvest locations collectively receive roughly 1,200 daily visitors.
Households unable to cover their expenses and people seeking help for the first time are increasingly turning to the food shelves run by Open Cupboard.
Francis explained that visitors have seen substantial reductions in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
"We're hearing from different people that either their SNAP benefits were cut entirely," Francis told KSTP.
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"Some of the families have been saying, 'I was getting $800 a month. Now I'm getting $200.'"
Health coverage and other medical coverage have also become unavailable to some visitors who no longer qualify, Francis added.
More background
KSTP visited while families gathered groceries at Today's Harvest in Maplewood.
The visits coincided with preparations for Halloween festivities.
Kim, a visitor identified only by her first name, described the challenge of making limited resources last.
"We have to stretch what we have," she said. "Everybody's kind of going through it these days with prices and everything."
For the people Open Cupboard serves, pressure on household budgets comes from heating and electricity as well as gas and groceries, Francis noted.
Lindsey Ochmanek, vice president of sourcing and demand planning at Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank, reported that the organization distributed a record 172 million pounds of food during its fiscal year ending in September.
What's being done?
Second Harvest Heartland's community partners are the focus of an effort to deliver more food.
The food bank has committed resources to operational changes to support that effort.
Ochmanek said new routing software helps the food bank plan more efficient deliveries, reducing fuel costs while allowing drivers to make more stops along their routes.
Warehouse staff have also cross-trained to move between roles as needed, helping ensure enough employees are available to fill orders from food shelf partners.
Ochmanek credited those improvements, developed over several years, with helping the organization reach its record distribution total.
Meanwhile, Today's Harvest is seeking donated funds and volunteer support to address local needs. People interested in contributing can find information through Open Cupboard.
Those requests come as Francis and other food shelf leaders prepare for the holiday season with demand already high and rising — a circumstance Francis concedes is deeply concerning.
"Sometimes people say, 'What keeps you up at night?' And I say that's the part that I really worry about," Francis told KSTP, citing growing demand.
"If this is the level that we're seeing now as we enter the holidays, what are things going to look like by the time we hit January?"
Where can I learn more?
Families in other states are also dealing with reduced food assistance and turning to pantries for help. These stories cover SNAP cuts, rising pantry demand, and the struggle to afford food.
• In Florida, weekly food pantry trips became routine as SNAP cuts and grocery prices hit family budgets.
• Texas food banks warned they cannot replace SNAP as federal rules shift costs to the state.
• In Los Angeles, a pantry distributes 386 bags in a day as CalFresh changes strain households.
• In Boston, a mother goes hungry for her son because their SNAP benefits were slashed.
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