Bloomington, MN—The City of Bloomington is taking action to ensure that residents who rely on essential food programs have access to food support during the federal government shutdown. Nearly 8,000 Bloomington residents rely on these programs to help feed their families.
Due to a lack of funding caused by the shutdown, food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) will not be issued for November until the shutdown ends or the federal government issues further guidance. Benefits for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will continue temporarily, but only until existing reserve funds run out, which is estimated sometime in December.
“Bloomington Public Health currently provides formula to more than 200 infants enrolled in WIC, including nearly 90 infants who need medical formula to meet their specific nutritional needs,” said Mayor Tim Busse. “These are life-sustaining programs that are at risk and this situation will have wide-ranging impacts on the health and well-being of our community.”
To address the lack of federal funding and to help with food needs, the City is taking the following actions:
- On October 27, the City Council allocated $250,000 of strategic priorities funding to make grants to nonprofit organizations for their food assistance programs starting in November if federal resources lapse.
- The Bloomington Police and Fire Departments are collecting donations of food at sites throughout Bloomington. A list of drop-off locations and most needed food items is on the City’s website.
Community members and local businesses are encouraged to join the City in supporting (financial and in-kind) the efforts of recognized Bloomington organizations, such as VEAP Food Pantry. Additional organizations can be found by entering your ZIP code on Hunger Solutions’ Find Help map. Food shelves report that while food donations are always welcome, financial donations allow them to maximize their impact because they can purchase what they need at a discount from wholesale suppliers. “A $1 donation allows us to buy $10 worth of food,” said Caley Long, marketing and communications director with VEAP.
Nearly 6,000 Bloomington neighbors are enrolled in SNAP or MFIP and almost 1,700 Bloomington residents participate in WIC. SNAP recipients include workers who rely on benefits to supplement lower wages or help them through periods of unemployment. WIC provides nutrition education and benefits to eligible people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have children up to five years old.
If you or someone you know needs help with finding food, visit Hunger Solutions’ Find Help map, FindHelp.org (select ‘Emergency Food’) or contact the Minnesota Food HelpLine: 1-888-711-1151.
“The needs are extraordinary, but so are the households and businesses in Bloomington. Together, each of our individual efforts, will ensure Bloomington is an enduring and remarkable community where people want to be,” said Mayor Busse.
