ACTION ALERT!
Federal Older Americans Act Rule Changes for Nutrition Services and Request for Public Comment
The Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) has published Older Americans Act (OAA) policies
for public comment, which will impact the work of area agencies on aging and OAA direct
service providers (such as Meals on Wheels) in the near future. Public comments are due to the MBA by February 7.
In short, at the state level, these policies articulate how the MBA will develop priorities for over $20 million in federal funding for older Minnesotans, and how they contract with and monitor area agencies on aging (Trellis in the Twin Cities 7-county service area) These policies shape how Trellis meets the requirements for planning, advocacy, development, and service delivery of the $10 million of OAA funds awarded to the Twin Cities’ region.
This is your time to communicate directly to the MBA and share how these policies will
impact our work and those that are served through Title III funded services such as Meals on Wheels. Click here for information about how to comment on the regulations. This is your opportunity to share the impact of these policies directly with the Minnesota Board on Aging.
NEW!
Find out if you may be eligible for SNAP and an estimated amount of benefits you could receive. This tool is not an application, but a quick screen to see if you might be eligible for SNAP. It is available on the Hunger Solutions website in several languages: https://www.hungersolutions.org/SNAP-screener/
REMINDER!
Ramsey County provides a food resource page on their website. It includes guides to finding food by neighborhood, including help in locating meals, groceries, and other food-related assistance. https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/assistance-support/assistance/food-resources
DATA AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT OUR WORK!
From The Food Group Blog January, 2025
As we enter a new year, our team at The Food Group has been taking a look at current trends and data to inform and educate our upcoming anti-hunger work. Here’s what we’re seeing when it comes to food access across our state as we kick off 2025, as well as some insights into the innovative partnerships we’ll be expanding upon in the year ahead.
Food shelf visits continue to rise in Minnesota. We don’t yet have final 2024 data but are on pace to hit nearly 9 million visits … which is an increase of more than 1 million visits from 2023 … which was an increase from the number of visits we saw in 2022. Since 2021, monthly visits to food shelves across our state have more than doubled.
And no demographic is left untouched by this troubling trend. Food shelf visits among all age groups are up, including seniors and children. Last year, senior food shelf visits increased by an estimated 12% for a total of 978,000 visits; compared to 2021-2023 data, this is an increase of 74% in total visits. Visits from children have also more than doubled, making up more than 2.6 million visits to food shelves in Minnesota in 2024, which is a 22% increase from 2023 numbers.
There are many reasons for these increases, including the end of pandemic support programs and high food prices due to inflation with income levels remaining stagnant, and food shelves across the state have done an incredible job responding to the changing needs of our communities. Here at The Food Group, we have responded by continuing our holistic food systems approach to anti-hunger initiatives, including advocacy work as well as affordable grocery and sustainable farming programs. We’ve also continued our crucial food distribution programs, making sure food shelves and meal program partners have what they need to serve our neighbors.
We also recognize that our core work is not enough to eliminate hunger in Minnesota, and we are innovating and thinking outside the box in our search for both short-term and long-term solutions – food for today and change for tomorrow. In 2025, we will continue to lean into our community of partners and cross-sector partnerships beyond traditional hunger relief….
To read more about the Food Group Partnerships: https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/data-and-cross-sector-partnerships-driving-future-solutions/
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