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Mission Project Food Shelf

Food shelf Donations are requested for the first and third Sundays of every month or Communion Sundays. Zion is one of the supporters of the Keystone Community Services formerly known as Merriam Park Food Shelf. When you contribute, please mark your offering "for the food shelf". Non-perishable food can be placed in the basket at the back of the sanctuary. Thank you!

Our children have also created beautiful banks to keep at home or work to place our spare change. On Sunday we take a special offering to donate to the food self. If you have not received one of these banks, please contact the church office at 651-645-0851.

2004 Facts about hunger provided by Minnesota Food Share

1. There were 1.38 million visits to Minnesota's food shelved in 2002. For the first nine months of 2003 there was a 15% increase from 2002. We are nearing an all-time record high for food shelf use.
2. Nearly half of the hungry who visit food shelves are children. Hungry kids have difficulty learning and have more medical problems and absenteeism than children with adequate nourishment.
3. Senior citizens continue to visit food shelves in record numbers: more than 20% of food shelf clients are elderly.
4. 43% of food shelf clients work. 35% are retired or have a disability that prevents work.
5. People using food shelves do not make enough income to cover their basic needs: only an average of $8.36 per hour. Low wages without benefits, child care expenses, skyrocketing housing costs, and high out-of-pocket medical expenses make working families vulnerable to hunger.
6. In the past 10 years, the average worker's salary rose 9%. His rent rose 34%. 
7. The poverty rate ($18,400 for a family of four) is an income number used to award federal and state benefits. It does not reflect today's actual cost of living. This means many deserving families in dire straits do not qualify for any aid at all.
8. Recent cuts in state budget have gutted programs for those who do qualify for them. Food shelves anticipate a steep rise in visitors because of these cuts.
9. The minimum wage of $5.15/hour does not even approach self-sufficiency.