Food shelf volunteers Volunteers with the Motley Area Food Shelf were busy Feb. 25, boxing grocery items for people in need. Pictured above, from left, are Sharon Stone, treasurer and co-director; Kathy Schleichert, co-director; Paula Seelen and Donna Nadeau. (Staples World photo by Dawn Timbs) Volunteers with the Motley Area Food Shelf are hoping to collect a total of $20,000 worth of food supplies (both pounds and dollars) during March - Food Share Month.

Last year, $18,000 was collected, said Sharon Stone, one of the directors of the MAFS.

“There has been a 20 percent increase in people using the food shelf since last year,” Sharon said. “The needs are great.”

Each March, Minnesota FoodShare directs the largest food drive in the state to restock food shelves. It recruits thousands of congregations, corporations, schools and civic groups to run local food and fund drives to aid in the effort.

“Our money goes twice as far during March,” Sharon said, explaining that once a month the MAFS orders food supplies from Second Harvest Food Bank in St. Paul. During Food Share Month, the money raised (along with matching funds) allows them to order twice the amount of food for the same price.

Loading Donna Nadeau (in back) and Sharon Stone, volunteers with the Motley Area Food Shelf, packed and weighed boxes of grocery items Feb. 25. Approximately 25 pounds per person is given out once a month. (Staples World photo by Dawn Timbs) Although food donations are always accepted, cash donations (especially during March) go a lot further towards stocking the food shelves.

The food shelf in Motley (a nonprofit organization) serves residents of Motley, Cushing, Leader and Randall.

Clients are served once a month; and receive a three day supply of food based on their household size.

MAFS volunteers are grateful to the

generosity of so many people, Sharon said. “We get some grants; but a lot of our donations

are from local churches, civic groups and local companies. We’ve also gotten help from the United Way.”

Dedicated volunteers give of their time each Thursday to pack groceries and help load the boxes into cars.

Once a month, a large food delivery from Second Harvest Food Bank in St. Paul is made to the MAFS.

“The Lincoln Scandia Valley Lions Club comes every time to held unload that truck. It’s a big job and we’re thankful for their help,” Sharon said.

Don Eckert, another volunteer, picks up free bread every Wednesday from the Cub grocery store in Brainerd. “We really appreciate the bread; and Don’s help,” Sharon said.

Kathy Schleichert is a co-director of the MAFS. She hopes that, in addition to raising money during FoodShare Month, that efforts will be made to raise awareness of hunger in

Minnesota.

According to a 2010 ‘Fact Sheet’ about hunger,

distributed by Minnesota FoodShare:

o In 2009, there were about three million food shelf visits statewide and 61 million pounds of food were distributed to Minnesota families by food shelves.

o From 2008 to 2009, there was a 25 percent increase in food shelf visits in Minnesota - the largest recorded increase in 28 years.

o Child visits to food shelves in Minnesota increased from 191,756 in the first quarter of 2008 to 236,652 in the same period in 2009.

o In 2009, almost 14 percent of Minnesota households did not have enough money to buy food.

o Of those who use Minnesota’s food shelves, 47 percent of adults and 14 percent of children skip meals because there is not enough food at home.

The mission of the Motley

Area Food Shelf is to ‘feed the hungry in our service area through an efficient system of collection and distribution of food to individuals, striving to preserve dignity and extending respect to all clients.’

The MAFS is located at 697 3rd Ave. South in Motley. It is open every Thursday from 9 a.m. - noon. For more information, call 218- 352-6344.