Give the gift of nourishment

Times have been hard for so many. It’s been a year of losing jobs, dealing with foreclosures, lots of financial uncertainty. Hunger in the Twin Cities is at an all time high with one in every ten people going hungry; local food shelves have seen a 43 percent increase during the first half of 2009.

Greater Twin Cities United Way has a goal of reducing hunger in our area 20 percent by the end of this year through their Agenda for Lasting Change - 10 measurable goals to create pathways out of poverty. Last year, United Way together with partners, distributed 6.4 million new pounds of food.

In addition to collecting more food, United Way is working on increasing culturally rich foods in the emergency food system and providing capacity-building grants to food shelves.

More than half of food shelf recipients are working, yet struggling to make ends meet and making difficult choices between essentials like groceries, rent, utilities and childcare. This problem needs to be addressed, and you can make a difference.

Give a gift of nourishment to some of our neighbors that have been going to bed hungry.