According to the 2024 Statewide Hunger Study from Second Harvest Heartland, one in five Minnesota households was food-insecure. That means worrying about food running out, skipping meals, or even going without food for a day because you can’t afford it.
“One of the reasons we’re doing outreach is to make sure residents get the support they need to feed their families with nutritious foods,” said Sara Hollie, director of Hennepin County Public Health.
Hollie said in Hennepin County specifically, 7% of families experienced times when there wasn’t enough food, and also not enough money to buy more. That’s why she’s working to get the word out that Hennepin County is accepting applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), and how families can apply for these benefits.
SNAP helps people with low incomes to buy the food they need for sound nutrition and well-balanced meals, including things like fruits, vegetables, cereal, whole grain bread, cheese, and more. The program issues its benefits using an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that is then used to buy food at local stores. WIC is a nutrition and breastfeeding program that serves pregnant women, new mothers, babies, and children ages 0 to 5. WIC also offers breastfeeding support and referrals to health and social services.
To get SNAP or WIC in Minnesota, you must be a resident, but also meet eligibility requirements based on household size, gross monthly income, and expenses.
On average, 440,000 Minnesotans receive SNAP benefits every month, and many are eligible for WIC. “In Hennepin County alone, 110,000 Minnesotans received SNAP benefits, but 10% of those could also be eligible for the WIC program,” Hollie added.
The program would have helped many families who went without benefits during the 43-day government shutdown that ended on November 10. Hollie said 10,00 Hennepin County families, for example, who lost their SNAP benefits, could have relied on WIC. She wants these families to know, if a shutdown were to happen again, WIC is an option to get fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious items to keep their families fed.
Families in Hennepin County interested in learning more about SNAP and WIC and how to apply for benefits can go here.