Hunger Solutions Minnesota food and benefit programs.
The goal of Hunger Solutions Minnesota is to prevent hunger across the state. They work towards this by offering clients referrals to pantries and provide help in apply for government benefits such as SNAP food stamps. Volunteers and staff from the organization can direct needy individual and families to the most effective program for their needs.
Most of the information and resources are distributed from their Food Help Line. This is a toll free number that residents can call for intake. The hours of the center are below, as well as more details on the programs that are administered. Many of the services are available from donations and contributions of generous people and businesses in the community, so please give back to the non-profit if possible.
Referrals are provided to food shelves and pantries in the region. Hunger Solutions also partners with other charities, churches and relief organizations to better coordinate services and advocate for the poor and less fortunate. Each and every month thousands of families, including many with children or senior members, call upon the hotline to get these referrals.
Hundreds of families across Minnesota call the Food HelpLine on a monthly basis. While not everyone will qualify or can find the assistance they need, the fact is that the success rate is very high. People can get addresses and hours of food shelves in their town or city, or they may be referred to soup kitchens for a hot meal. There is also details on free seasonal meals, such as for Thanksgiving or Christmas as well.
In many cases, staff from the hotline can go over the application process for SNAP food stamps, and even help them enroll. This is more of a long term government subsidy and for those low income families that enroll, they will be issued an EBT card that can be used for buying groceries on a monthly basis. Local retailers accept the cards, and they are simple to use.
While income conditions and program terms can change, in general SNAP is for households that earn around $1600 per month, However, the larger the household, the greater that income limit will be. Or if the household has special factors or say a disabled member, then the threshold can also increase.
The staff at the helpline can go over the guidelines. Many families in Minnesota may qualify for SNAP food stamps but not even know it, and the organization can provide more information on this. There are many benefits as well, as the average monthly amount paid out is $100 per month, but it will vary depending on factors such as income, age, and household size.
Other government benefits to enroll into include the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) or callers can access surplus government commodities. They can be given free fruits, vegetables, and other items from local pantries as part of TEFAP. Or the elderly can look into Meals on Wheels for their needs.
Another key function of Hunger Solutions Minnesota is to advocate on behalf of the poor and less fortunate. The non-profit works to end hunger in the state, and they try to get government officials and decision makers to take some type of action to address this state and national crisis.
To provide assistance and in an effort to coordinate these limited resources, the non-profit partners with many other organizations. Examples include Emergency Food Shelf Network, United Way Twin Cities, Minnesota Department of Human Services/Office of Economic Opportunity, Meals on Wheels, and Hunger Free Minnesota, among many others.
The hotline number to call is 1-888-711-1151, and the days of operation are Monday through Friday. As far as location, Hunger Solutions Minnesota is based in Hennepin County.
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