The work our staff does on a daily basis is so important for people in southwest Minnesota—from donors to business leaders to our youngest children and many others. But this week, our staff and a number of current and former board members started something very special to help those in need in our communities.
SWIF began awarding Local Impact Grants, which represent a one-time opportunity for SWIF to support our southwest Minnesota nonprofits and address critical needs of the people they serve. Over the course of the next few months, we’ll be awarding $1,000 Local Impact Grants to 100 nonprofit organizations for a total of $100,000. There are ‘no strings attached’ to these grants. We are so grateful for the important role these nonprofits play in our communities and want to help them build capacity and leverage funds to make an even greater impact. Grant recipients are selected by SWIF (there is no application process) and will be awarded to nonprofits that address crisis assistance, diversity, environment, human services, youth and other regional needs. Funding for these grants was provided through a gift from the Minnesota Community Foundation as a way to help serve critical needs in Greater Minnesota. SWIF is distributing 100 percent of these funds directly to nonprofits in our region.
To start this effort, we’re giving $1,000 to every food shelf in our region. As part of the March FoodShare Month, many food shelves are able to leverage, often even double, the gift. There is an incredible need for food shelves throughout our entire region. While the number of people and families served varies by each location, stories shared by food shelf staff and volunteers have been similar from one community to another. Here are a few striking examples that were shared this week:
- As expenses—including food costs—rise and wages stay flat or even decrease, more people are living on very tight budgets. About 90 percent of Minnesotans are only two paychecks away from needing food shelf services.
- Rising gas prices have an impact on all of us, but especially those with lower incomes. How do you decide between being able to drive to work or purchase food for your family? Many people in our own communities are faced with this decision.
- With schools out for the summer, June, July and August become the busiest months for many food shelves with families having more mouths to feed all day. Gifts received now make a huge impact, but food shelves are already looking ahead to how they will meet needs in coming months.
Delivering these checks has been a humbling experience for many of us. While there are so many great things happening around us, there is still much we can do to help those in need. With just $5, a food shelf can usually provide about a week’s worth of food. A sincere thanks goes to all food shelf board members, volunteers and staff in all corners of our region. You are all leaders and are truly making a difference in our communities!
