>> CATHY: FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, MINNESOTA IS ON TRACK TO BREAK ITS OWN RECORD FOR VISITS TO FOOD SHELVES ACROSS THE STATE.

FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC, LOSSES OF FEDERAL FUNDING, INCREASING INFLATION, AND, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR THE IMPACTS OF OPERATION METRO SURGE HAVE DRIVEN MASSIVE NUMBERS OF RESIDENTS TO SHELVES LOOKING TO FEED HEMSELVES.

HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE SITUATION IS SOPHIA LENARZ-COY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE FOOD GROUP NONPROFIT.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: WELCOME.

BOY, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I'VE DONE STORIES ALMOST EVERY YEAR SINCE THE PANDEMIC ABOUT FOOD SHELF USAGE IS GOING UP, IT'S GOING UP.

WHAT ARE THE PATTERNS AROUND THIS?

>> YEAH.

IT REALLY HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE INCREASE.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK KIND OF BACK TO 2019 NUMBERS, WE'RE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE PEOPLE VISITING FOOD SHELVES IN MINNESOTA NOW COMPARED TO PREPANDEMIC.

THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT, INCLUDING FOOD SHELVES DOING REALLY GOOD JOB OF, YOU KNOW, DOING GOOD COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY NEED, BUT THE OTHER FACTOR IS THE COST OF GROCERIES FOR SO MANY FAMILIES HAS JUST GOTTEN OUT OF REACH.

SO FOOD HELVES ARE BECOMING A REALLY KIND OF INTEGRAL PART OF FOLKS MAKING ENDS MEET EACH MONTH.

>> Eric: DO YOU GET HELP FROM GROCERY CHAINS AND SURPLUS FOOD, STUFF THAT MAYBE HAS ONE DAY OR TWO AGAINST THEIR EXPIRATION DATE, THAT SORT OF THING IN >> ABSOLUTELY.

THE HUNGER RELIEF SYSTEM, WE'VE GOT FOOD SHELVES, ALMOST 300 N ALL 87 COUNTIES IN MINNESOTA, AND THEN THEY WORK WITH FOOD BANKS, FOOD' BANKS OFTEN GET RETAIL RESCUE, SOME SHELVES DO LOCALLY AS WELL.

AND THEN AT THE FOOD GROUP, WE KIND OF TAKE A STATEWIDE VIEW, REALLY TRYING TO PARTNER WITH THE STATE TO GET STATE FUNDING TO FOOD SHELVES AND ALSO TO DO ADVOCACY ON THE ISSUE.

>> Cathy: SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS -- THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS THAT THIS IS OCCURRING.

BUT I'M WONDERING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, IS IT MORE OF AN URBAN PROBLEM, IS IT A RURAL ISSUE, IS IT EVERYTHING?

AND WHO'S USING THE FOOD SHELVES?

>> YEAH, IT'S ACROSS THE BOAR.

SO WE HAVE SEEN THE SAME KIND OF DRAMATIC INCREASE IN URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.

AND, REALLY, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I THINK YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO BE USING A FOOD SHELF.

IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, IT'S ALMOST HALF KIDS WHEN YOU OUNT UP THE KIND OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE VISITING FOOD SHELVES.

SO, AGAIN, IT REALLY IS JUST KIND OF AN ISSUE OF THE COST OF LIVING OUTPACING FOOD.

FOOD TENDS TO BE THAT MOST FLEXIBLE PART OF A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET.

YOU GOT YOUR RENT, YOU GOT YOUR MEDICAL, YOU GOT YOUR OTHER FIXED COSTS.

FOOD IS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO CUT BACK.

>> Eric: DO YOU EVER TALK ABOUT CONSOLIDATING THE NETWORK, MAYBE FEWER PEOPLE UNDER YOUR UMBRELLA?

SEEMS TO ME IF IT KEEPS GOING UP AND UP AND UP AND UP MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING AT THE FOOD SHELF END THAT COULD BE IMPROVED, BE MORE EFFICIENT?

>> I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THE NETWORK, HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE.

THE ONE THING THAT'S UNIQUE, THOUGH, FOOD SHELVES TEND TO BE POWERED LOCALLY, LOCAL VOLUNTEERS, LOCAL DONATIONS, FOLKS WHO REALLY FEEL A STRONG TIE TO KNOWING WHAT NEIGHBORS NEED.

NOT LOSING THAT BUT LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES, CERTAINLY, WHEREVER WE CAN.

>> Cathy: GOING BACK, IF I COULD FOR JUST A MOMENT HERE IN TERMS OF THE REASONS THAT THIS IS OCCURRING.

WHEN THE S.N.A.P.

CUTS, THE CUTS WERE MADE TO THE NUTRITION, FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT YOU SAW PROBABLY AN INFLUX OF FOLKS THAT WAY?

>> YES.

AND I THINK THE CHANGES TO S.N.A.P.

ARE STILL KIND OF HAVING RIPPLE IMPACTS, BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER IS, YOU KNOW, FOOD SHELVES AND FOOD BANKS DO A GREAT JOB, BUT FOR EVERY ONE MEAL THAT IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THAT SYSTEM, S.N.A.P.

PROVIDES NINE.

SO, ANY CHANGES THAT GET PEOPLE OFF S.N.A.P.

OR CHANGE THE PAPERWORK OR THE WORK REPORTING REQUIREMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE REAL STRAIN ON THE HUNGER RELIEF NETWORK AS A RESULT.

>> Eric: WHAT KIND OF HELP DO YOU GET FROM THE STATE?

>> THE STATE HAS BEEN A GOOD PARTNER.

WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED THE MINNESOTA FOOD SHELF PROGRAM, BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME ONE-TIME FUNDING THROUGH THAT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS KIND OF THE SPECIFIC CRISIS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW AS WELL.

>> Cathy: AND DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS, OBVIOUSLY?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

DONATIONS OF TIME AND TALENT HAS MADE UCH A DIFFERENCE.

>> Eric: IS THERE A BUSIER TIME OF YEAR THAN OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR?

>> HISTORICALLY THERE CAN BE SPIKES IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND SOMETIMES IN THE SUMMER WHEN KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, BUT WHAT'S BEEN UNIQUE ABOUT THIS YEAR IS WE SAW THE HIGHEST VISITS TO FOOD SHELVES THROUGHOUT THE STATE EVER IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.

>> Eric: WOW.

>> SO WE REALLY ARE SEEING KIND OF A HEIGHTENED NEED.

THEY DROPPED IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, AS FOLKS WERE, YOU KNOW, FEARING TO GO OUT IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.

BUT THEN WE'VE REALLY SEEN A SPIKE THIS SPRING.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.