Important Changes at the Food Shelf During COVID-19
As many around the country and the world grapple with the concern of COVID-19, we at The White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf want to ensure the well-being of our neighbors, volunteers, and our community while still providing healthy food to our neighbors in need. To be a part of the solution we will be implementing the following changes to our programs until further notice:
- Shopping – During this time, ANYONE from ANYWHERE can come get prepacked To-Go bags from our location at a drive-up style pick up (even people beyond the White Bear Area). These can be picked up weekly or as needed (no appointment needed). Shopping hours are: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. For the safety of everyone and compliance with social distancing guidelines, we will only load groceries into vehicle trunks that are separate from the passenger portion of the vehicle. For those wanting their groceries loaded into the passenger portion of a vehicle and for hatch-back models, we ask that our neighbors load the groceries themselves. Also, neighbors are experiencing longer wait times in the first 30 minutes the drive-thru is open. The Food Shelf strongly encourages people to come later in our drive-thru hours to help space out people stopping in. Once again, we have plenty of food and we look forward to serving our community!
- Donations – Many people have been asking “How can I best support the Food Shelf?” We encourage people if they are able to give financially to do so. You can either DONATE ONLINE or through the mail. For every $1 donated the Food Shelf is able to purchase $8 in healthy groceries for families struggling to make ends meet. During this time, financial donations are the best way to help our neighbors in need!
- Volunteering – All volunteer activities have been suspended, both offsite and onsite. Our volunteers do so much to make our programs possible, but we feel the best move at this time is to suspend our volunteer program. WBAEFS staff will pick up food rescue, sort delivery, and pack to-go bags.
Please see our Covid-19 Update for more information.
The White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf has served as a critical resource for families experiencing food insecurity since 1977. Providing food and support to over 1,200 families each month, we work toward eliminating barriers that have traditionally limited access to healthy food for families living on a low or fixed income. Our vision is to end food insecurity in the White Bear Area.
Who We Serve
We provide food and support to neighbors who live within or attend the White Bear Area School District and self-identify a need for food. Our Bonus Saturday program is open to anyone in need of food regardless of geographic boundaries.
What We Do
Neighbors meet initially with a community resource volunteer who conducts a brief assessment, provides referral connections to other community resources, and assists with additional support as needed. During a monthly shopping visit neighbors have access to their choice of milk, eggs, meat, pasta, rice, fresh and frozen produce and a variety of other dry goods. In addition to monthly shopping, neighbors may participate in Bonus Saturday, a weekly produce pick-up program. Other programs include weekend KID Packs, Mobile Markets, Free Farmer’s Markets (seasonal), School Food Pantries, Community Resource Program, and a Family Stability Emergency Fund.
In recent years, the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf has expanded our services and strengthened our strategies to meet the changing needs of our community. We currently have a staff of 5.5 FTE and over 300 active volunteers.
How you can help
We rely on generous donors like you to advance our mission of providing food and support to our neighbors in need. $1 donated will purchase $8 in healthy groceries for families struggling to make ends meet. You can support your local food shelf through volunteer opportunities, sponsoring a food drive, and/or making an online donation today!
