In light of the federal shutdown and changes to SNAP, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to send up to $2 million to selected Minnesota food banks, food shelves and food rescue through December.
“The fact is that we will have working families and children that will not have access to food this month. They will be hungry and we don’t even know how much longer that will be. That just disgusts me,” Commissioner Angela Conley said.
On Nov. 6, commissioners discussed the up-to-date situation with the federal government and voted unanimously to give the $2 million.
“In Hennepin County, the 110,000 SNAP recipients receive an average of $180 in benefits per month,” county documents read. “Resulting in a funding shortage of approximately $20,000,000 per month. If the shutdown persists, other programs could be affected, including the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), which provides nutritious food and infant formula for families with very young children. Currently, Hennepin County has about 16,000 people participating in WIC.”
Commissioners also spoke about the partisan split.
“I don’t owe my allegiance to either party,” Commissioner Jeff Lunde said. “I owe my allegiance to my residents. I’m absolutely disgusted — and I felt like using a swear word — with both parties, Republicans and Democrats.”
Commissioner Kevin Anderson disagreed.
“One party specifically voted to cut food stamps next year, and it was not backed by the other party. And so, it is not the same,” he said.
“Lives are at stake; this shouldn’t be being used as a political tool,” Commissioner Marion Greene added. “And yet there is one party that has control of the House, the Senate and the White House. And I could go further about what I think their motivations are, but I won’t. I do think that this problem —and maybe it is a cultural problem — is at their feet. And they need to look themselves in the mirror every day and figure out what they actually care about.”
Watch the Nov. 6 meeting in full at hennepin.us/en/your-government/leadership/county-board-meetings.
Before this resolution, the county had already committed $4 million to food banks, food shelves and meal programs.
When the Department of Children, Youth & Families announced it would not process new SNAP applicants on Oct. 21, the Golden Valley food shelf PRISM reported a 38% increase in demand.
“What used to be about 91 visits a day has jumped to 126, and many are coming for the very first time,” said Michelle Ness, PRISM executive director. “The number of first-time visitors has soared by 50%, from an average of 18 to 27 new families each day. You can feel the worry and relief in the air — parents, seniors, and workers who never imagined they’d need help now turning to us for the first time.”
The city of Golden Valley has donated $25,000 to its local food shelf, PRISM.
“We are deeply grateful for generous donations, including the city of Golden Valley,” Ness said. “We immediately started purchasing additional food, knowing that there would be more people coming in with greater food needs. DCYF has done a great job of sharing updates and answering questions.
“Outside of the confusion from November benefits, we expect a continued increase in food shelf visits. SNAP changes eliminate eligibility for refugees and asylees and increase work requirements for families and folks 55 and older.”
In addition to giving out food, PRISM is preparing for the annual Holiday Toy Shoppe. People can donate toys to local children. An event will culminate Dec. 13 at Valley Community Presbyterian Church. The organization is seeking donations as well as volunteers. People in Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, Plymouth and New Hope can register by Dec. 5 to receive gifts. Learn more at prismmpls.org/events/holiday-toy-shoppe-2025/.
NEAR Food Shelf in Crystal has shared the most needed items include cooking oil, canned meat, soups, rice, pasta, soap, peanut butter, baby food, diapers, toilet paper, deodorant and cereal.
NEAR will have its own gift distribution drive at the Crystal Community Center on Dec. 13. People can order items through their Amazon wish list or donate dollars directly to the organization. Learn more at nearfoodshelf.org/donate.
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Please direct media inquiries to Alisha Weis, Advancement Director
Call Alisha763-432-4229
Email Alishaaweis@prismmpls.org
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