3.4 Million Minnesota Food Shelf Visits in 2017 Highest in Recorded History

Seventh Consecutive Year with Over 3 Million Visits

If Minnesota food shelves were open 24/7, 6+ people would visit a food shelf every minute

SAINT PAUL, Minn., May 07, 2018 -- Minnesotans visited food shelves 3,402,077 times in 2017 --the highest number of visits in recorded history, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Human Services that was analyzed by Hunger Solutions. The number of visits by seniors (adults 65 and older) was 308,609 -- up 39.3 percent from 2012. Adult usage, overall, increased to 1,855,780 visits, which is up over 2012 by 11.1 percent. Children represented 36.4 percent of food shelf usage in Minnesota for a total of 1,237,688 visits.

“This marks the seventh consecutive year with more than 3 million visits to our food shelves,” said Hunger Solutions Executive Director Colleen Moriarity. “In other words, since the recession, it’s become the ‘new normal’ in Minnesota.”  

Moriarity explained that during the recession, the number of food shelf visits rose along with the unemployment rate. Despite falling unemployment numbers, however, food shelf usage is increasing. “Minnesota’s unemployment and poverty rates are among the lowest in the country and our per capita income and homeownership are among the highest. Yet thousands of Minnesotan families are still struggling to put food on their tables.”

The 2017 Minnesota food shelf usage breakdown by region was:

• Central (12.7 percent of the population):       11.5 percent of the total visits.
• Metro (54.7 percent of the population):         54.9 percent of the total visits.
• Northeast (5.9 percent of the population):    6.3 percent of the total visits.
• Northwest (10.2 percent of the population): 9.3 percent of the total visits.
• Southeast (9.1 percent of the population):    10.3 percent of the total visits.
• Southwest (7.1 percent of the population):   7.7 percent of the total visits.

According to the new data, if Minnesota food shelves were open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, more than six people would visit a food shelf every minute. For a map that compares Minnesota food shelf usage by county from 2013 to 2017, go to: http://www.hungersolutions.org/data-posts/food-shelf-visits-map-2017/.

About Hunger Solutions Minnesota
Hunger Solutions Minnesota works to end hunger via the Minnesota Food HelpLine and by advancing fair public nutrition policies on behalf of hungry Minnesotans. We connect Minnesota’s food shelves with funding and technical assistance to support 9,000 daily food shelf visits across the state. Our work is made possible through the generous support of donors across the country, each sharing our commitment to ensuring no Minnesotan will struggle with food insecurity alone.

CONTACT:
Gary Young/612-247-8123
[email protected]