From Page 1

MN FoodShare is the time of year when our community comes together to fight hunger. Mayor Mary Fasbender is proclaiming a City-Wide food fight during MN Foodshare and Hastings Family Service invites the entire community to join the fight against hunger! All monetary gifts and pounds of food collected will be MATCHED proportionately by MN Foodshare.

Hastings Family Service is encouraging people to make a difference by joining a city-wide food fight to maximize the matching dollars for MN FoodShare. Gifts can be made safely online, or if you prefer to drop off a gift at HFS, you are welcome to do so. The HFS building remains closed to the public for safety reasons, but there are food carts in front of the Donation Center for your gifts of food, or a secure donation drop box where you can safely place a monetary donation if you prefer to drop it off.

A list of ideas to safely participate in MN Foodshare this year is available at www. hastingsfamilyservice.org and you are encouraged to register your event or food fight project on the website. “By registering, Hastings Family Service can help promote what you are doing and share your ideas with others,” said Amy Sutton, HFS Associate Director. “Everyone can get involved, have some fun, and collectively make a big impact on hunger in our community.” The website also provides links to posters and other resources to help with your food or fund drive.

According to Sutton, Hastings Family Service provided food shelf assistance to 73% more families in December compared to April last year. “It was an increase of 117% in the total number of people served within those families, but we have been able to meet the increased demand for food assistance because of the community’s support,” said Sutton. “It has been a challenging year, but we have much to be grateful for.”

MN Foodshare will run from March 1st – April 11th with all monetary gifts and gifts of food proportionately matched by MN Foodshare. Join the city-wide food fight and together we can knock out hunger!