128 North Meridian Street, Belle Plaine, MN 56011
Fighting hunger in our community
Please Note:
Due to the Belle Plaine BBQ Days celebration, the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf will be closing at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 17th. We will resume our regular hours the week following. Apologies for any inconvenience this might cause.
Corona Virus Updates
With recent statistics showing a decrease in Covid 19 cases and an increase in people who are getting fully vaccinated, we have started to ease up on some of the precautions we’ve been practicing at the food shelf this past year:
- For clients that have been fully vaccinated, you are not required to wear a mask inside the food shelf unless you desire to do so.
- If you haven’t been fully vaccinated, the CDC recommends wearing a face mask when entering public places.
- Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from other clients and staff while shopping at the food shelf.
- Remember to wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Please stay at home if you are feeling ill.
Thank you for your adherence to these practices. Along with keeping you well fed, our goal continues to be keeping all of us healthy and safe.
We Have Plenty of Food for All
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.
What's Up at the Food Shelf During the Summer Months
We are preparing bag lunches for school age children in our area. They can be picked up at the Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf through the summer months during our regular hours on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Hunger doesn't take a vacation. With children spending more time at home during the summer months, the food need is great. Already strained budgets are strained even more and make it harder for families to make ends meet. We appreciate your generous donations of money and food to help fill the hunger gap in the community.
Upcoming food drops in July and August. We encourage everyone, not just food shelf clients, to come by and pick up a box of food.
For Your Information
We are Officially a SuperShelf!
The Belle Plaine Area Food Shelf is now officially a SuperShelf! 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.
Healthy Food Donation Suggestions
Fruits and Vegetables
• Fresh produce
• Low-sodium or water packed canned vegetables
• Canned fruits in 100% juice or lite syrup
• 100% fruits and vegetables canned, plastic, and boxed
• Dried fruits and vegetables with no added sugar or fat.
Proteins
• Low-sodium or water packed canned meats and seafood
• Dried beans, peas and lentils
• Low-sodium canned beans and peas
• Fresh or frozen meat
Dairy and Dairy Substitutes
• Milk (unflavored nonfat, skim, and low-fat)
• Shelf stable milk or non-dairy alternatives
100% Whole Grains
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• Whole-grain cereal
• Rolled oats
Healthy Fats
• Low-sodium nuts
• Peanut butter
• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
Kid-friendly Items
• Pop-top tuna
• 100% fruit roll-ups
• Raising or other dried fruits
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Fruit cups
• Pudding cups
• Low-sugar cereals
• Pretzels
• 100% fruit juice boxes
• Granola bars
• Pop-top soups
• Low-fat, whole grain muffins
• Whole grain crackers
2020 in Summary
- We began 2020 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.
- Fundraising events were limited in 2020 due to the Corona Virus. 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
Volunteer!
Would you be able to give three hours of your time for one Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or 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:
952-956-4004.
Other ways to contribute:
- Food rescue
- Weekly delivery truck unloading
- Composting and recycling
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Cleaning
- Computer help