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Basic Needs Inc. reports large year of food rescue, outreach and upcoming events in South Washington County
Summary
Basic Needs Inc. Executive Director Opie Penaloga told the St. Paul Park City Council the nonprofit distributed about 680,000 pounds of rescued food last year, served tens of thousands of residents, and invited the city and public safety agencies to upcoming events including a resource fair and a fundraiser.
Opie Penaloga, executive director of Basic Needs Inc., told the City of St. Paul Park City Council on Feb. 18 that the nonprofit distributed more than 680,000 pounds of rescued food last year and served “just over a 60,000 people” across South Washington County.
Penaloga said the organization’s free food market in Cottage Grove operates Monday through Friday and that the agency counted “over 50,000 children and over 25,000 seniors” among people who used its services last year. He described a thrift-store voucher program that distributed “just over $10,000 in vouchers” to households in emergency situations, including fire victims and veterans.
Those totals, Penaloga said, came alongside a new outreach event the agency calls the Pit Stop, staged at the Cottage Grove Armory, where Basic Needs worked with “over 40 agencies and organizations” to deliver resources and referrals. Penaloga said the event referred about 14 families to homeless services, distributed “over, dollars 2,000 in gas and food carts” and drew “just over 400 people,” most from St. Paul Park and Cottage Grove.
Why it matters: Basic Needs provides direct services that city leaders and residents identified as part of the social-safety net for low-income households, seniors and families experiencing housing instability in South Washington County. The council heard the presentation during its Feb. 18 meeting as the nonprofit invited municipal participation in upcoming events.
In the meeting, Penaloga outlined near-term dates and fundraising plans. He said Basic Needs will hold its next Pit Stop on Oct. 9 at the Cottage Grove Armory and is hosting a fundraiser called Fashion for a Cause on April 10. He also invited local police and fire departments and the mayors of Newport, St. Paul Park and Cottage Grove to a joint charity event called Badges and Hoses — scheduled for May 17 — that pairs first responders against high‑school JV basketball teams in a fundraising game.
Penaloga told the council he would follow up with an email and said Basic Needs’ development manager Antonio had already sent invitations to council members before the Feb. 18 meeting. “I just wanted to come down and introduce myself,” Penaloga said in his remarks, adding that he became executive director in May of last year.
Council members thanked Penaloga for the work. Mayor Franke said, “Thank you, Opie. We really do appreciate your organization and all the hard work and you hitting the ground running in all of our communities around here.”
The presentation provided an overview of service volumes and invitations for partnership; no formal action by the council was taken during or after the presentation. Penaloga asked the council to consider volunteering or otherwise participating in the events and said the agency would send more information by email.
Basic Needs Inc. and the city did not provide a detailed funding breakdown in the meeting; Penaloga identified the April gala as a fundraiser that helps pay for the organization’s programs and food market.
