Elizabeth Brown, the CEO of Cross Services food shelf in Rogers, joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Adam Carter and Jordana Green to discuss the numbers.
Brown shared that while the number of visits is eye-opening, they are not surprising.
“I hope that there is some positive impact around the stigma of this because we all are just a paycheck or two away from needing this kind of help,” Brown said. “I think more people are realizing that there’s more people living on the edge than they thought there were.”
Experts say everything from rising rent and food prices to stagnant wages to the end of COVID emergency relief is having an impact on families' bottom lines.
Brown says preserving dignity in those seeking help is vital. One way the nonprofit does so is by allowing their food shelf clients to peruse the aisles with a grocery cart rather than being handed a bag of pre-selected food.
“Not everybody eats peanut butter. Not everybody eats these foods that are premade bags,” Brown said. “The fact that families can choose their foods…that is a big piece as well.”
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