"Philando's Pantry" is planning a food drop in Brooklyn Park this week in an effort to fight local hunger.
It's all part of an effort created by the Minneapolis NAACP inspired by the legacy of Philando Castile, a former St. Paul school teacher who was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in 2016.
The initiative aims to provide families with free nutritious food.
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollis Winston says this couldn't have been possible without their local partners.
"This is really an effort for us to say, look, we're not going to the state on this, we're not going to other folks on this right," Winton says. "We're going to go to partners who can bring these resources to help us with this internal need. This is really what we're looking to do in Brooklyn Park."
The group's initial event saw 28 tons of food and supplies distributed within just three hours.
Minneapolis NAACP Vice President Thomas Berry says the initiative was inspired by the legacy of Castile and his commitment to community welfare.
"If people are hungry and they need food, we want them to come out in the spirit of Philando Castile who was working in Saint Paul schools before his demise," says Berry. "You know, he found a way to feed the students who couldn't afford themselves and we look at the pantry doing the exact same thing."
Berry says he hopes these pop up giveaways will breakdown barriers for those facing food insecurity.
The Philando's Pantry food drop is planned for this coming Wednesday.
Castile was shot in 2016 by Jeronimo Yanez of the St. Anthony Police Department during a traffic stop.
Castile, who was licensed to carry a firearm, told Yanez that he had a firearm. After some back-and-forth, the officer fired seven close-range shots at Castile, hitting him five times and killing him.
Immediately after the shooting, Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car, posted a live stream video on Facebook which drew reaction to his killing, along with protests, across the U.S.