128 North Meridian Street, Belle Plaine, MN 56011
fighting hunger in our community
Covid 19
At the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf, we continue to follow the government recommendations of social distancing, hand washing, disinfecting, wearing face coverings and using gloves. Masks/face coverings are also required for those who enter the food shelf to shop for food. We ask that you please stay at home if you are feeling sick. Along with keeping you fed, our goal also includes keeping all of us healthy and safe.
We Have Plenty of Food to Feed You
The Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf is open to anyone who is experiencing a food crisis. Thanks to the generous donations and support of area residents, businesses and churches, we have plenty of food to feed you. In the past, clients were allowed to come one time per month during our normal hours of operation every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. However, in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic, so many are living paycheck to paycheck or possibly no paycheck at all and wondering how they are going to put food on their tables. With that in mind, we have decided to lift our once-a-month policy and encourage anyone in need of food assistance to shop at least twice a month. In addition, we invite anyone in our community and surrounding areas that have an emergent need for food, regardless of your household income, to come and shop at the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf.
A Big Thank You!!
A special thank you to Bob and Renee Wagner from the Minnesota's Largest Candy Store for their generous donation to the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf.
We appreciate their generous donation of apples, squash and candy to help feed families in our community.
For Your Information
What is a SuperShelf
The Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf has done some renovation to the inside of the building to become a SuperShelf site, creating a more welcoming, cheerful and updated shopping experience for our clients. A SuperShelf offers a wide variety of foods, increasing the quantity and accessibility of better foods for healthier living - less processed foods, more fresh fruits and veggies, healthy recipes and samples.
Who is Eligible to use the Food Shelf
We try to make it as easy as possible for those in need to access food. No photo identification or legal documentation is required to access food, but we may request documents to verify your address. The Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf also serves participants from outside of our self-identified service area. Households with income below 200% of the poverty level or who receive assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, free and reduced school lunches, energy assistance or public housing, are eligible to shop at the food shelf monthly.
Backpack Program
We continue to offer our backpack program that began on March 18th of this year. These pre-packaged bags can be picked up at the food shelf during regular business hours or anytime you see someone there. No registration is needed; no questions are asked. We only ask that kids let us know what school they attend. Donations can be dropped off Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays around 9 a.m., as volunteers are there restocking shelves or during our regular business hours: Wednesdays 5 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. There is also a drop box on the side of our building where shelf-stable items can be left. Of course, we ALWAYS need toilet paper if you have a roll or two to spare!
Our Needs
Our immediate concern is for the kiddos who will be losing access to school breakfasts and lunches. Items we are looking for are those easy for kids to prepare on their own such as:
Cereal
Canned tuna and chicken
Peanut butter
Pretzels, crackers and rice cakes
Canned ravioli
Canned spaghetti
Canned soups and chili
Applesauce and fruit cups
Macaroni and cheese
Granola bars
Cup-O-Noodles
Ramen Noodles
Other ways to contribute:
Food rescue
Weekly delivery truck unloading
Composting and recycling
Marketing
Fundraising
Cleaning
Computer help
2020 in Summary
- We began this year with a remodel of our building to become a SuperShelf. Our high school shop class built us a beautiful cabinet for additional storage
- We established new protocols to ensure safety for our staff and families during the Covid crisis.
- During the summer, we held two produce drops at the athletic field. We gave away 17,000 pounds of food at one of the drops and 13,000 pounds at the other.
- We provided Thanksgiving boxes for several families in our community and are providing Christmas boxes as well.
Due to the Corona Virus, our fundraising events have been limited. If you are able, please consider a monetary donation to the food shelf. Checks can be made out to the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf and mailed to:
917 Prairie Oak Drive
Belle Plaine, MN 56011
Thank you to all for your support.!
Volunteer!
Would you be able to give three hours of your time for one Saturday a month from 9:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. to volunteer at the food shelf? If you can and are interested, contact Annalee Balk, Food Shelf Volunteer Coordinator, at annaleebalk@gmail.com or leave a message at 952-956-4004.