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Red Wing resident urges board to oppose proposed federal cuts, highlights surge in food‑shelf use
Summary
A longtime district employee and volunteer told the Red Wing Public School District board that local food‑shelf demand has risen sharply and asked the board to oppose proposed federal cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and childcare assistance.
Min Martin Oaks, a retired district employee and volunteer at the Red Wing Food Shelf, told the Red Wing Public School District school board during public comment that demand for emergency food assistance in the community has increased sharply in recent years and urged board members to oppose federal cuts to safety‑net programs.
"In the first half of 2023, we served over 2,200 households. In the first half of 2024, that number had grown to 3,800 households. In the first half of 2025, we've now served over 4,000 households," Martin Oaks said, adding that those totals are duplicated counts because people may visit more than once. She described shoppers ranging from older adults to families with young children and people coming directly from work.
Martin Oaks said the food shelf is seeing both higher client counts and reduced poundage available for distribution because food sources have become less reliable. She told the board that interruptions in previously available federal funds reduced the food shelf’s ability to buy protein and other items. "If these federal cuts become a reality, we anticipate a much greater need at the food shelf but much lower resources for our community," she said.
She relayed additional statistics during her three‑minute comment: that 9% of Minnesota households are food insecure, that 84% of SNAP households include at least one working adult, and that the average monthly SNAP benefit is about $109 per person in 2025. Martin Oaks described clients who could not access or prepare certain foods when they were unhoused, but who could select healthier items once permanently housed.
She closed by asking the board to consider "lending your voices to the voices of other elected leaders and opposing federal cuts that would impact the human safety net programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and childcare assistance," saying these supports make a tangible difference for people in Red Wing.
Board members did not take formal action on the request during the meeting. The remarks were made during the public comment portion of the agenda and were recorded but not advanced into any board motion or resolution.
The comment added local context to budget discussions later in the meeting that addressed district fund balances and program funding, though Martin Oaks did not request specific district spending changes.
