The Open Your Heart Summer Challenge began on July 1st.
Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will give a proportional match for donations to participating food shelves during the month of July, up to $5,000. The more funds a food shelve raises in July, the larger the matching grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be. Minnesota food shelves raised over $1.5 million last year with this grant and hope to outdo that this year!
Falls Hunger Coalition
Click here to see a list of participating food shelves.
Check out the buzz:
Food Shelf Challenge begins, International Falls Journal
“The need continues to grow,” she said. “So as we bring in more clientele, we need to plan for more food, as well. We really count on our grant funding and donations to help pull us through, because we just keep adding new people every week. This really is a lot of people.”
Minnesota food shelves raised nearly $1.6 million in 2015 according to Open Your Heart, which has targeted donations to help hungry and homeless Minnesotans since 1986.
Now’s the time to fill food shelves, SCTimes
“Until school starts in September, many families can struggle to have enough food at home.
That’s evident by July and August being the highest use months for area food shelves — and it’s why we write today to urge you to donate whatever you can to your local food shelf these next few months.”
Open Your Heart summer challenge helps Minnesota food shelves, Hastings Star Gazette
At Hastings Family Service, children make up 45 percent of the hungry who visit the food shelf.
Elks donate, Bemidji Pioneer
The Bemidji Elks No. 1052 recently took the Open Your Heart July Challenge, boosting its $500 donation to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf with a matching grant from the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless Campaign.
The more money raised, higher matching dollars, Wahpeton and Breckenridge Daily News
Donations and receiving grants are especially necessary in the summer, Fenske continued, because youth are out of school and unable to benefit from such programs as the Food Backpack program.
“That’s why they have these grants available in the summer, to provide for our shelves, to help out,” she said.
Donations to PROP are matched in July, Chanhassen Villager
PROP Executive Director Janet Palmer said, “Our belief is that access to nutritious foods transforms lives and creates opportunities for people. Local community support this July will provide fresh produce, meat, dairy products and other non-perishable food items for our neighbors in need. This level of support would not be possible without the continued generous support of our community and partners.” said Janet Palmer, PROP Executive Director.