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CHUM Annual Report 2012

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RISING COST OF FOOD AND HOUSING<br />

INCREASES FOOD SHELF USE by Julie Krienke, Intern<br />

On a daily basis, the <strong>CHUM</strong> Food Shelf makes a difference in the lives of those living<br />

in poverty by providing the most fundamental of human needs. <strong>CHUM</strong> staff and<br />

volunteers distribute nearly 230,000 pounds of food annually to households without<br />

the resources to purchase enough food for a month.<br />

Recently, the number of people seeking food support has increased due to an increase<br />

in food insecurities. Some households are now stopping at <strong>CHUM</strong>’s Duluth<br />

Emergency Food Shelf more often than before, in part, due to the lack of<br />

affordable housing.<br />

“During the past few years, we have seen households getting larger, while, at the same<br />

time, work hours and wages have decreased,” explained <strong>CHUM</strong>’s Distributive Services<br />

Director Meg Kearns. That being the case, more food shelf users are forced to spend an<br />

increasing percentage of their income to maintain housing, thus they have less money<br />

available for food.<br />

Due to this increase in demand, <strong>CHUM</strong> has partnered with the congregations in<br />

Lakeside and Lester Park to make an additional food shelf available on Mondays at<br />

6<br />

Faith Lutheran Church. <strong>CHUM</strong> continues to host food shelves in downtown Duluth<br />

and at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in West Duluth, making food available Monday<br />

through Friday as well as on Wednesday evenings for working families.<br />

With the growing demands on the Food Shelf, <strong>CHUM</strong>’s investment in additional<br />

food beyond what has been donated has increased substantially over the past two years.<br />

The cost to purchase food rose by over $8,000 in 2011, and now, after two quarters of<br />

<strong>2012</strong>, by another 57%.<br />

The <strong>CHUM</strong> Food Shelf continues to receive generous gifts of food and financial<br />

support from congregations, grants, businesses, and individuals throughout the year.<br />

The October Food SHARE Drive, March FoodShare Drive, and the Letter Carrier’s<br />

Drive have brought in the same amount of food as they have in the past, but the food<br />

we purchase is more costly, and we are buying more in order to sustain those seeking<br />

support.<br />

<strong>CHUM</strong> continues to advocate for those with long-term food assistance needs to gain<br />

access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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