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Woodbury approves $10,000 for Open Cupboard Food Shelf; additional funds may be requested
Summary
After hearing testimony about a spike in demand related to a temporary SNAP funding gap, the City of Woodbury authorized $10,000 from its lawful gambling contribution fund to Open Cupboard Food Shelf and amended an initial staff recommendation that had allowed up to $20,000.
The Woodbury City Council unanimously approved a $10,000 budget amendment Nov. 5 to provide immediate financial assistance to Open Cupboard Food Shelf, citing a recent surge in visits after federal SNAP benefits were delayed.
City Administrator Jeff Dahl told the council that Open Cupboard requested $10,000 and staff recommended authorizing $20,000 in total — $10,000 now and up to $10,000 later if documented need persisted. Dahl said the recommended funding source was the city’s lawful gambling contribution fund, a restricted account the city has used to support public safety equipment and charitable contributions.
Jessica Francis, executive director of Open Cupboard Food Shelf, described multiple weeks of increased demand after SNAP recipients were notified in late October that their November benefits might not be paid. “When we open at noon each day…the line is getting a little bit longer,” Francis said. She told the council that financial donations are especially effective because Open Cupboard can use Second Harvest Heartland to purchase roughly $8 of food for each $1 donated, allowing the pantry to prioritize fresh produce and other higher-cost items.
Council members pressed staff on timing and oversight for any additional money. “If the shutdown ends and there’s funding,” City Administrator Dahl said, “that would preclude us from providing another check without additional authorization.” Several council members urged relying first on community drives and ongoing donations; one member recommended a date-driven condition before releasing more funds. Council member Santini and others noted that the gambling fund’s statute makes donations to food shelves an allowable use.
Council members ultimately amended the staff recommendation to provide $10,000 now, funded from the lawful gambling contribution fund, and to require Open Cupboard to return to the council with a documented request if it needs additional funds. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote: Santini, Stafford, Wilson, Morris and Mayor Burt voted aye.
Open Cupboard served about 2,400 Woodbury households in September and reported higher recent demand; the organization said it handled roughly 109,000 total visits across sites in the most recent month, with approximately 7,000 visits attributed to Woodbury households. The city’s lawful gambling fund had an approximate year‑end balance the council cited in discussion of about $125,000–$128,000.
The council directed staff to work with Open Cupboard on promotion and volunteer recruitment and to consider a future request if the federal funding gap continued into December.
