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Bemidji Community Food Shelf reports record short-term demand, asks for volunteers and donations
Summary
Leaders of the Bemidji Community Food Shelf told Beltrami County commissioners they saw 372 household visits in the first three days of a November period, have overspent the annual food budget to meet demand and are relying on community donations and credits from local stores to keep shelves stocked.
The Bemidji Community Food Shelf told Beltrami County commissioners that demand has spiked and the operation is stretching resources to meet needs. John Repp, board president, and Kathy Felix, interim director, said the food shelf saw 372 household visits in the first three days of a recent month and has begun to use reserve funds and community donations to maintain inventory.
"In the first 3 days of the month, we saw 372 households," Felix said, and added the pantry has been recording unusually high daily visits, including repeat 'emergency visits' from households that already used their monthly allotment. Felix said the food shelf has "already run over the annual budgeted amount for food purchases" and is buying extra supplies while relying on donors to bridge the gap.
The food shelf operates as a shopping-store model rather than handing out pre-packed boxes; Felix said a typical family of two or three receives about 60 to 70 pounds of food in one shopping trip. The program limits clients to one visit per calendar month plus two emergency visits per year, which allows up to 14 visits annually if both emergency visits are used.
Commissioners asked about volunteer needs and the best form of donation. Felix said monetary gifts are particularly useful when the pantry must buy milk, eggs, butter and frozen meat that donors cannot provide; she described a local arrangement where stores that collect cash for the food-shelf drive leave the money as a credit used to buy food at cost.
The pantry also coordinates with North Country Food Bank for donated meat and with Bemidji Downtown Meats, which is certified to process and accept donated venison. Commissioners discussed ways the county might help, including donation boxes and a review of reserve funding; no funding decision was made during the work session.
The food shelf said volunteers remain in demand to staff shopping hours, warehouse handling and outreach. The pantry urged residents and organizations to consider both nonperishable donations and financial contributions to support perishable items and operational needs.
