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2024 VOTERS’ GUIDE: Get to know local candidates PAGE 2B
Local food shelves face difficulty with financial donations
Local leaders respond to demonstration
BY ERIK SUCHY STAFF WRITER
A growing concern is building among the White Bear Lake, Hugo and Centennial food shelves. Financial donations aren’t keeping up with demand, which creates a challenge as they strive to meet the needs of those in the community who are experiencing food insecurity. Now, they are looking to their communities to help turn things around. At the White Bear Area Food Shelf, Executive Director Perry Petersen said the most significant challenges they faced have risen due to the increased need that followed
the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our donations have kept pretty steady for us,” said Petersen. “However, the growth of donations and support has not been able to fill the gap due to the big increase in need. It’s a considerable amount between where we were as an organization to where we’re at now.” Petersen said the food shelf has seen steady growth in both the number of people visiting the food shelf as well as financial donations for several years. This has led to plans by the organization to open a second location to address the increased need for SEE DONATIONS, PAGE 18A
WHITE BEAR AREA FOOD SHELF BY THE NUMBERS • 54,130 visits this year, reaching 177,715 individuals • 51% increase in people served in 2024 over 2023 • July was the biggest month on record with 6,495 visitors – a 68% increase over July 2023 • The new Community Market averages 165
visitors a day • The Curbside Market averages 120 visitors a day • A 24% increase in donations is needed to meet the need for the coming year • For every $1 donated, the food shelf can purchase $6 worth of food
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Sailing into autumn A sailboat travels under the light of a rising full moon on White Bear Lake. Because of the timing, the full moon was also a supermoon, blood moon and harvest moon and a rare confluence of celestial events also added the bonus of a partial lunar eclipse later in the evening.
ERIK SUCHY | CONTRIBUTED
Local food shelves are helping more residents who are experiencing food insecurity, but donations aren’t keeping pace.
S E P T E M B E R 2 6 – O C TO B E R 2 , 2 0 2 4 | S AV E $ 1 . 5 0 / L B .
$2.49/lb. Honeycrisp and Sweetango Apples 815860
On Sept. 21 the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office was informed that a group of men had hung banners over the walking bridge at Rice Street and Interstate 694 in Shoreview near the border of Vadnais Heights. According to eyewitnesses, the banners displayed messages associated with white supremacy. After being informed by deputies that hanging banners from the bridge/overpass is illegal, the group removed them and left. Vadnais Heights and Shoreview area legislators have condemned the demonstration. Sen. Heather Gustafson , Sen. Tou Xiong, Sen. John Marty, Rep. Brion Curran, Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, Rep. Peter Fischer, and Rep. Kelly Moller issued the following statement: “This display of racism and xenophobia does not represent our community, and we will not tolerate any group promoting such violence and bigotry. We denounce any ideology or group that seeks to dehumanize people based on their race, ethnicity, religion or any other identity. We stand together against hatred in any form and are committed to building a community where everyone feels safe and valued.” Shoreview City Manager Brad Martens added that the individuals involved are not from the Shoreview area. “There is no tolerance in Shoreview for individuals who spread racist messages,” said Martens.
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