One in 10 Minnesotans, or more than 500,000 state residents, experience food insecurity on a regular basis. That is more people than attended Minnesota Vikings home games during the 2014 regular season.

Add to that the startling fact that the Wells Area Food Shelf provided over 50,000 pounds of food to hungry local residents in 2015 – including a monthly high of 5,140 pounds during July alone — and one can quickly understand why supporting the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign is vitally important.

A grassroots food and fund drive, the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign is the only statewide effort where every dollar donated goes directly to food shelves to purchase food for the hungry. Hosted by the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, Minnesota FoodShare partnered with almost 300 food shelves statewide in 2015 to raise more than $8 million and more than 4 million pounds of food during the month of March last year.

The Wells Area Food Shelf was one of those 300 food shelves benefiting from Minnesota FoodShare last year and will do the same this year. All donations made during March to the Wells Area Food Shelf, both financial and in products, will be tallied and results forwarded to Minnesota FoodShare. Those numbers will be used to determine what funding the Wells Area Food Shelf will receive from this year’s statewide fund drive.

Wells Area Food Shelf board chair Jean Steinhauer has previously expressed appreciation for the generosity shown by area residents to the local effort.

“We can’t heap enough praise on all the fine people from throughout this area who have been so generous with their time, their talents and their financial resources to make the Wells Area Food Shelf not only survive but thrive,” Steinhauer said.

“We’re hesitant to ask for more but we want people to know that if giving to the food shelf is on their agenda in the future, March is the prime month of each year to do so,” she added. “Their donations will go much further during Minnesota FoodShare month — it’s that simple.”

People wishing to donate to the food shelf may mail or hand deliver their donations to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 291 First Street SW in Wells During regular business hours.

The Wells Area Food Shelf is open from 4 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 291 First St. SW, Wells.

In case of a food emergency please call 507-553-5824.