Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan joined Second Harvest Heartland on Monday, bringing attention to the fight against hunger in the state of Minnesota, which has only worsened with the coronavirus pandemic.
Allison O'Toole, the CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, said that not everyone in the state experiences hunger the same.
O'Toole shared that people of color are disproportionately affected by hunger, and their organization is doing everything it can to help.
In 2019 a survey by the Minnesota Department of Health showed that Black, Hispanic, and Native American eighth graders were more likely to skip meals because of a lack of food available to them.
According to a report from the Wilder Foundation, food affordability is the number one driver of food insecurity, and with inflation on the rise, the issue has only worsened, something Flanagan is calling on Minnesotans for help with.
"Sometimes things can feel a little overwhelming, and you don't know how to help, [but] there are lots of ways to get involved," Flanagan said. "Like asking your local food shelf 'what else do you need?'"
Flanagan encouraged Minnesotans to think beyond, "these are the extra cans in our pantry," and instead donate what people would actually want to eat.
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The Lt. Governor shared her own experiences with food shelves and how her family relied on them when she was a child.
"My family grew up with SNAP, or back in the day what you would call food stamps," Flanagan said. "I was the kid with the different colored lunch ticket. We utilized local food shelves in our community."
Now in her position, Flanagan can help the very programs that helped her while growing up.
"That's what we do as Minnesotans when folks need a little extra help, we step up, and we provide it," the Lt. Gov. said. "Now I get the chance to pay that back and pay that forward every single day."
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To address the racial hunger divide, Second Harvest Heartland announced it is partnering with BIPOC farmers to support the farming community.
O'Toole shared that the partnership is also an effort "to source more culturally connected produce" to offer more culturally appropriate foods to those in need.
Products beyond tomato soup and canned green beans are now being donated, with families in need receiving coconut milk, sriracha, sweet potato leaves, and maseca flour.
With the holidays around the corner, Flanagan called for anyone who could to give back, and O'Toole shared that Second Harvest Heartland is in need of volunteers. For more information, visit 2Harvest.org
