From a media release, Hastings Family Service has proclaimed that “the Hastings community will work
together during the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign to drive out hunger and restock the Market food shelf at Hastings Family Service.”
KDWA connected with Amy Sutton, Executive Director of Hastings Family Service, for more information.
“Well, it’s March already, and that means the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign has begun for Hastings Family Service and food shelves across the state. So, the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign is over 40 years old. They’ve been doing this for a very long time, and it started because after the holidays, food shelves were very depleted from food. And so, it really started as that. And so now Minnesota FoodShare will go from March 1 through April 6. And honestly, it’s a great time for a campaign to help because there’s just a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability right now, and Hastings Family Service has seen some really large increases in need so and the best part about giving during the Minnesota FoodShare Campaign is that every pound of food and every dollar donated is proportionately matched by Minnesota FoodShare so it has a much bigger impact.”
Executive Director Sutton continues, “And for Hastings Family Service, that is a very big deal. So, we hope neighbors will come together. There are a lot of cool things happening. This month, we will be having some small events, some fundraising nights. We have a fundraising night at Culvers on March 16, from 5pm to 7pm. We have a taproom takeover on March 25 from 4pm to 6pm. I know the Spiral Co-Op is doing a roundup at the register for Hastings Family Service and the National Honor Society this week will be distributing their grocery bags to a number of neighborhoods, and then we’ll collect those bags this coming Sunday, on March 8. So, there will be food drives all kinds of things, and of course, just financial gifts can be made online or mailed or dropped off at Hastings Family Service, and all of those things will help us maximize that proportionate match.”
If you are interested in getting involved and contributing to this campaign, executive director Sutton explains how.
“The best thing to do is check things out at www.HastingsFamilyService.org. We’ll keep things up to date on our website. And then, of course, the big culmination for us of Minnesota FoodShares March Campaign is Hastings Tastings, which will happen on Monday, March 30 this year. And of course, all proceeds from ticket sales, from raffles, from a silent auction, will again be part of that proportionate match. A lot of fun ways to get involved, and we just love this time of year because it really is a time where we come together as a community to do really good work.”
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