FOUND
FOUND MORE TIME AND RESOURCES TO GIVE BACK. AND AS
KENT EXPLAINS, TONIGHT, ONE
LOCAL NONPROFIT HAS SEEN BOTH
SIDES OF THAT COIN AND THEY'VE
EXPANDED THEIR SERVICES AS
A RESULT, WHEN COMMUNITY
EMERGENCY SERVICE IN SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS NEEDED VOLUNTEERS
A FEW MONTHS BACK. IT WAS
THE KIND OF OPENING RICHARD
STALLINGS HAD BEEN LOOKING
FOR WHERE TO DO IT.
>> AND EVERY TUESDAY SINCE JUST
BEFORE 11 A.M., HE GETS ROLE
IN DELIVERING MEALS ON WHEELS.
>> THIS MORNING ,
THE ORGANIZATION AND RICHARD'S
JOURNEY TO IT ARE BOTH FAMILIAR.
>> THIS IS SOMETIMES ORGINAL.
THEY GET SORRR. IT'S A PLEASURE
TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER A RETIRED
TEACHER FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL. SO
I NEED SOMETHING TO DO. AND THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN KIND
OF IHLEN MEAN, THEY SAY GIVE
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. >>
BACK. >> AND RICHARD IS FAR FROM
THE ONLY ONE WHO STARTED LENDING
A HAND DURING THE PANDEMIC. MORE
THAN 5000 PEOPLE HAVE FILLED OUT
VOLUNTEER PAPERWORK FOR MEALS
ON WHEELS SINCE LAST MARCH.
AND IT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE
DEMAND HAS BEEN EVEN GREATER.
>> OUR PROGRAMS IN THE METRO
HAVE SEEN A 400 % INCREASE
IN CALLS COMING IN FOR PEOPLE
LOOKING TO SIGN UP FOR MEALS
AND THAT JUST ISN'T SLOWING
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> LAUREN HAUTER SAYS MANY
OF THOSE CALLS TO METRO MEALS
ON WHEELS HAVE BEEN FROM ITS
TYPICAL CLIENT BASE
OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 55
AND OLDER WHO NEED HELP DUE
TO MOBILITY CONCERNS.
THE PANDEMIC OR BOTH?
>> IT HELPS BECAUSE SOMETIMES
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GO TO SORRR
BECAUSE I HAVE A BACK PROBLEM
THAT HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME
AS THE PANDEMIC.
>> BUT IN THE MIDST OF THAT
INCREASED DEMAND, THE MEALS
ON WHEELS KITCHEN BEGAN
PREPARING FOOD FOR AN EVEN
BIGGER POOL OF CLIENTS.
A FEDERAL GRANT TIED TO THE
CARE ACT ALLOWED HIM TO OFFER
FROZEN MEALS TO ANYONE 18 YEARS
OF AGE OR OLDER.
>> NO QUESTIONS ASKED. IT WASN'T
ABOUT AGE OR, YOU KNOW, FILLING
OUT SOME REQUIREMENTS. IT WAS IF
YOU CALLED US AND YOU NEEDED
A MEAL, WE GOT FOR YOU AT NO
CHARGE.
CHARGE.
CHARGE. >> IN RESPONSE, THIS KITCHEN IS
NOW STAFFED 10 HOURS A DAY, SIX
DAYS A WEEK.
>> AND IT'S PART OF A LOCAL
NETWORK THAT IS PRODUCING 10,000
MEALS A DAY.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE IT TAKES A LONG
TIME TO FILL UP THOSE MEALS,
BUT IT DOESN'T.
>> YOU FILL THEM UP, YOU CAELUM,
YOU START THEM ALL OVER AGAIN.
BUT THERE IS ONE BIG ISSUE
THAT COULD SLOW ALL OF THIS
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> THE FUNDING FOR
THAT PARTICULAR STIMULUS PACKAGE
RAN OUT AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
AND I KNOW THAT ANOTHER ONE WAS
PASSED. BUT WE ARE STILL WAITING
ON INFORMATION AND WORD.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THAT.
WE HAVE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY
OF THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER
IT'S BUSINESS OR AN INDIVIDUAL
DONOR OR FAMILY, FOUNDATIONS
ARE ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE
ALREADY SIGNED UP . THAT SUPPORT
SHOULD KEEP KITHCENS LIKE THIS
ONE FULLY OPERATIONAL INTO
MARCH. BUT IF NOTHING CHANGES,
WE ARE GOING TO RUN THE RISK
OF HAVING TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY OR
DENY SERVICE. IF WE DON'T GET
INFORMATION ON WHERE THIS NEXT
ROUND OF FUNDING IS GOING
TO COME FROM AND HOW IT'S GOING
TO AFFECT MEALS ON WHEELS.
>> BUT FOR NOW, RICHARD AND ALL
THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS WILL JUST
KEEP SHOWING UP AND DELIVERING
IN HOPES THAT MORE FUNDING IS
DELIVERED. MEALS ON WHEELS TO AN
ORGANIZATION THAT ALWAYS ANSWERS
THE CALL. THANK YOU. YOU'RE
WELCOME. IN MINNEAPOLIS,
KENT ERDAHL HAVINGLOTS
KARE 11 NEWS BECAUES.
>> MORE FROZEN MEALS ARE BEING
DELIVERED THESE DAYS. MEALS
ON WHEELS SAYS ITS BIGGEST NEED
RIGHT NOW IS FOR VOLUNTEERS
IN THAT KITCHEN. OF COURSE,
DONATIONS ARE ALSO GREAT TO FIND
OUT HOW YOU COULD GET INVOLVED
IF YOU WANT TO OR TO FIND
ASSISTANCE IF YOU NEED IT. CHECK
OUT THAT STORY ON OUR WEBSITE AT
KARE 11 . DOTCOM AND MEALS
ON WHEELS IS NOT THE ONLY
ORGANIZATION SEEING A GREAT NEED
FOR THEIR SERVICES. WE CHECKED
IN WITH A FEW MORE FOOD SHELVES
TODAY TO SEE WHAT THE DEMAND
THERE IS LIKE IN ST. PAUL.
KEYSTONE COMMUNITY SERVICES TOLD
US THE PANDEMIC REALLY
HIGHLIGHTED A NEED THAT SADLY
WAS ALREADY THERE AND THAT LAST
YEAR THEY STARTED SOMETHING
NEW BY TEAMING UP WITH
THE USDA'S AND ACTUAL FARMERS
TO SEE THAT FOOD THAT NORMALLY
INTO RESTAURANTS AND SCHOOLS
WASN'T WASTED. THAT COVID FOOD
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SERVE NEARLY
THIRTY THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE
BETWEEN LAST JUNE AND NOVEMBER
THIRTY THREE THOUSAND IN THAT
SHORT TIME. AND A LOT OF THOSE
PEOPLE HAD NEVER EVEN USED
A FOOD BANK BEFORE. LET'S GO
TO ANOKA, THE SOUTHERN ANOKA
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
SHARED THIS WITH OUR TEAM
THAT IN TWENTY NINETEEN THEY
GAVE OUT SIX NINETY TWO THOUSAND
POUNDS OF FOOD AND IN TWENTY
TWENTY THAT JUMPED TO EIGHT
HUNDRED AND FIVE THOUSAND
POUNDS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AS
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED,
THAT'S FORTY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE
HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WERE HELPED
OUT. THEY ALSO WANTED TO MAKE
SURE YOU KNEW A LOT OF THESE
FOLKS WHO NEED HELP ARE
OUR ELDERS, OUR SENIORS.
AND THEN WE TOUCHED BASE WITH A
FOOD BANK, LOAVES AND FISHES.
THEY SERVE FOOD SHELVES ACROSS
THE METRO AREA. YOU CAN LOOK AT
THIS GRAPHIC IN YOUR HOME
THAT NEED LAST YEAR FAR EXCEEDED
WHAT THEY SAW THE YEAR BEFORE
THOSE RED BARS SHOW THAT IN
JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST OF LAST
YEAR, IN THE MIDST THE PANDEMIC,
THEY SERVED AROUND FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND MEALS. AND WHAT ALL
OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WANT YOU
TO KNOW IS THAT THIS NEED ISN'T
GOING AWAY AND THAT