Minnesota to distribute $4M in emergency funds to food pantries

The money is geared toward helping food pantries, which are anticipating greater need due to a lapse in SNAP funding caused by the federal government shutdown

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced on Monday that the state is allocating $4 million in emergency funds to food pantries across the state.

At a press conference at The Open Door Pantry in Eagan, Minnesota, Walz highlighted the importance of SNAP and the work food pantries and volunteers do statewide to keep food on the table for low-income Minnesotans.

“This is across every geographic aspect of Minnesota, in fact, disproportionately in Greater Minnesota,” Walz said of SNAP. “These are benefits that allow people to feed their family and go on with their life with that little bit of extra.”

He stated there were 9 million visits to Minnesota food pantries last year. Regarding SNAP, of those receiving benefits, 38% are children and 18% are seniors.

Walz cautioned that while $4 million will provide temporary relief, that dollar amount is eclipsed by the approximately $74 million in SNAP benefits paid out to Minnesotans each month.

“This will be a bridge,” he said. “I want to be very clear, it will not backfill everything that is going to drop off starting on Saturday; we do not have that capacity.”

That $4 million will be given to New Hope, Minnesota-based nonprofit The Food Group, which will then distribute that money to the state's more than 300 food shelves. Food pantries will receive a base amount of $5,000, and additional funds depending on current pantry usage and local SNAP needs, according to Tikki Brown, state Department of Children, Youth and Families commissioner.

Funds are intended to be in the hands of food shelves by Nov. 4, which is when SNAP benefits would be received.

The USDA announced on its website Sunday that SNAP benefits would not be paid out due to a lack of funding caused by the federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1.