New Hope Food Bank Reports Record Number of Visits

Food shelves across Minnesota are reporting record-breaking demand for help this year.

That’s according to The Food Group in New Hope.

The food bank compiles monthly statistics on visits to the state’s food shelves. It comes after this year’s federal immigration crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, had a significant impact on food insecurity.

According to Sophia Lenarz-Coy, executive director of The Food Group, visits to food shelves dropped off early in the year when Metro Surge was at its height.

However, visits rose to a new peak once immigration agents left town.

“As folks started becoming afraid to leave their house, as there was increased [U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement] at food shelves, we really saw a dramatic decrease,” Lenarz-Coy told CCX News. “But then when we look at February, March and April, we saw a huge jump again.”

In March, there were 859,076 visits to food shelves — the most ever recorded.

Statewide, visits are up seven percent from last year through April.

Lenarz-Coy says rising food and gas prices are pushing many families past their financial limits.

“I mean, I think all of us who grocery shop have sticker shock sometimes, right?” she said. “You’re going and you’re getting what you think is just a normal bag of groceries and all the sudden it’s $100, $150, right? So for folks that are on fixed or limited incomes, food is a much bigger part of the household budget.”

Rising costs are also impacting hunger relief organizations.

According to Lenarz-Coy, The Food Group has seen a 20 percent increase in their fuel costs.

New Hope