Welcome to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc. website.
March 4, 2010
Dear Friends of Hallie Q. Brown:
It's March, and that means it is time for the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. Every March, Minnesota FoodShare teams up with HQB and hundreds of civic groups, businesses, congregations, schools and individuals, to raise food and donations to combat hunger. They match every pound and dollar we raise. This year's goal is 12 million combined pounds and dollars.
In 2009, there were about 3 million food shelf visits statewide and 61 million pounds of food were distributed to Minnesota families by food shelves. From 2008 to 2009, there was a 24 percent increase in food shelf visits in Minnesota — the largest recorded increase in 28 years. At the Hallie Q. Brown Food Shelf, while the number of clients between 100-200% of poverty fell moderately by 13% from 753 in 2008, to 99 in 2009, the number of clients below 100% of poverty skyrocketed 320% from 252 in 2008, to 802 in 2009. Hunger is an issue that affects thousands of families in the metro area and across the State, almost 14% of the households in Minnesota did not have enough money to buy food in 2009. That's where the food shelves come in, filling the gap for families so that they can eat. And additional programs like the Pet Project provide donations of pet food to HQB's and other food shelves so that families don't have to choose between keeping their furry family members and providing food for their table.
So what can you do?
Even if you can't bend steel in your bare hands or leap tall buildings in a single bound, you can help your neighbors and people across the state by donating to your local food shelf. Donations will be matched to help feed more people across the State.
Here at Hallie Q., we're getting into the spirit and announcing a number of events and efforts to raise the awareness, increase donations and have fun.
On March 10th, from 4-6pm, we will host a kick-off party with Minnesota FoodShare to move the campaign into high gear. There will be a showing of the new video "Hunger Affects Everyone", refreshments, a superhero display and superhero costume contest. We're asking people to step up in the fight against Hunger and be a superhero....literally. At the kick-off event we'll announce a contest to create a hunger-fighting superhero and will award the best one at the April closing event. Click on the link here for the March Campaign Event Flyer.
So throw on your cape and join us for some fun on March 10th here at Hallie Q., as we combat Hunger in Minnesota.
In 2009, there were about 3 million food shelf visits statewide and 61 million pounds of food
So what can you do?