Photo courtesy of Springfield Advance Press Publisher/Editor Wendy Krier Fresh food at the Springfield Area Food Shelf includes apples, cabbage, bananas, oranges, onions and potatoes.

SPRINGFIELD — The 17th annual Open Your Heart (OYH) Summer Challenge grant program that provides participating Minnesota food shelves with grants proportional to the food shelves’ July fundraising activities, is underway.

Grants ranging from $150 to $4,000 are proportional to July food shelf fundraising activities.

Last year, 83 Minnesota food shelves raised $2.4 million last year to keep food shelves stocked.

Last year, more than nine million people visited Minnesota food shelves, setting a new record.

Jessica Mathias, Open Your Heart for the Hungry and Homeless executive director, said food shelves are vital to Minnesota communities.

“Some of the most meaningful efforts to combat food insecurity are led by small, volunteer driven food shelves. This initiative empowers them to restock their shelves with fresh and frozen food,” said Mathias.

Springfield Area Food Shelf Director Shari Koll says food shelf clients are facing several challenges now including higher food and gas costs and dropping off the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

Policy changes like stricter federal eligibility rules and a greater documentation burden have caused several million people to stop participation in SNAP, according to ABC News.

Rising living costs are another reason, Koll said.

“People tell us it’s really hard paying for food in grocery stores. More people say they don’t have enough gas money to drive to Walmart or ALDI,” said Koll. “Some of these people don’t make much money. Some are off the SNAP program because it’s changed, not necessarily for the better, so they come in when they have trouble making ends meet.”

Koll said a number of homeless people visit the food shelf.

“We don’t always know where people come from because we don’t need to know that information,” she said.

Koll said fresh, locally-grown vegetables are often donated to the food shelf in the summer.

“We serve about 140 households now with fresh produce, dairy products, meats, frozen vegetables, personal products and some cultural things,” she said. “People come from up to 40 miles from Springfield. We don’t turn anybody away.”

Springfield Area Food shelf hours are 4:30 to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at 625 N. Jackson, Suite F.

For more information and to donate to Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless, visit www.oyh/donate/. For more information, visit http://springfiledareafoodhself.weebly.com/ Email the Springfield Area Food Shelf at foodshelf@nuveramail.net or call 507-723-3663.