In 2010 when Bertha Klassen first started volunteering with the Loaves & Fishes Food Shelf in Mountain Lake, it served around 30 households each month. This year, it’s providing food for up to 120 households in a month.
“The increase has been tremendous,” said Bertha, who is the food shelf’s director and stays committed to the cause even as she approaches her ninth decade in life. “We’ll be in business as long as there is need, and I don’t see that going away anytime soon.”
The operation runs completely on volunteers guided by a board that includes Bertha, Mary Oeltjenbruns and Rachel Simons. The City of Mountain Lake provides space and covers utilities. Local grocery store, Maynard’s Grocery & Deli, gives the food shelf the best price possible on goods and shares overstock items.
The Mountain Lake Food Shelf is open Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. People can visit monthly. Bertha pointed out they offer many nutritious options, as well as trying to stock familiar ingredients for the town’s Hispanic and Lao residents. Mountain Lake’s population is about 15 percent Asian or Pacific Islander and 14 percent Hispanic or Latino, according to Minnesota Compass.
“Nobody should go hungry,” Bertha said.
With needs continuing to grow, keeping up is hard. About a month ago, the food shelf’s funds were down to $300 in the bank, which was “pretty scary,” Bertha said. “We live or die by grants. The ones we get from the Mountain Lake Area Foundation always have been extremely helpful.”
Mountain Lake Area Foundation (MLAF) is part of Southwest Initiative Foundation’s network of 31 community foundations that supports passionate people with the resources to make positive change. A team of local advisory board members guides each community foundation by fundraising, recommending grants, telling stories of good work happening locally and promoting their town.
“We have had the opportunity to grant $25,000 over the last 10 years to help sustain the growth and vitality of our local food shelf,” said Wade Nelson, MLAF Board Chair.
In addition to supporting the local food shelf, MLAF has granted to many other projects in the community. Their core fundraiser is an annual dinner, a well-attended affair the community looks forward to each year.
“Mountain Lake has been blessed with individuals who have left the area and done some outstanding work in a number of different fields. With these as our speakers, we raise funds for a special need in our area,” Wade said.
Featured guests have included Terry Esau, founder of the nonprofit Free Bikes 4 Kidz; Roger Wiens, a developer of one of the instruments on the last two Mars rovers; and this year’s speaker, Ross Fleming, who is in the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
Fundraising dinners have made it possible to add accessible equipment at local parks, improve area bike trails and complete downtown beautification and revitalization projects. This year’s proceeds will help provide swimming lessons for students in grades K-6 in the Mountain Lake area at no cost to families.
“Unfortunately, we had two youths drown in separate incidents last spring, and we feel compelled to give opportunities for our local children to be given free transportation and fees paid so that they may take lessons in a neighboring town, which has a pool facility,” Wade said. “Our mission is to make Mountain Lake a great place to raise a family. We are grateful to have the means to be a part of fulfilling that mission.”
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