Open Your Heart July Food Shelf Fundraiser

It is never too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving, and this year the CHUM Food Shelf needs your support more than ever before.  Due to pandemic relief programs that have or are set to expire, in addition to the inflation we are experiencing, households are faced with not having enough to eat every day, including Thanksgiving. That is why the CHUM Food Shelf is here and continuing to meet the rising need in our community. To help us ensure our community members have food to celebrate with during the Thanksgiving holiday, the CHUM Food Shelf is participating in the Open Your Heart (OYH) Summer Challenge. Open Your Heart helps fund solutions to end hunger and homelessness in Minnesota.

As the Food Shelf takes part in the OYH challenge during the month of July, the funds the Food Shelf raises will be proportionately matched up to $4,000 based on how much each participating food shelf raises. Will you help us rise to the challenge? Every $1 you give stays here in Duluth and helps us buy everything the Food Shelf needs to fill 300 Thanksgiving boxes.

For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time of thankfulness celebrated with our families and friends.  The CHUM Food Shelf wants to provide that same experience for the families the Food Shelf serves. Last Thanksgiving the Food Shelf served 729 families that included 447 children and 164 seniors, who looked to us for support.  

With the ongoing global pandemic, this year has proven more difficult than previous years, when it comes to finding food for this festive meal. Prices for every item in the box the Food Shelf provides has risen to levels the Food Shelf has never seen, and what used to cost us $8,000 prior to COVID, has ballooned to $19,536! 

The CHUM Food Shelf is asking for help from individuals, businesses, community clubs, congregations, and others to provide the funds to purchase the items to fill 300 complete Thanksgiving meals to our Twin Ports neighbors.

Here are the items we will be purchasing:

• 300 Turkeys                                                             $6,525
• 25 cases of Sweet Potatoes / Yams                     $1,200
• 300   boxes of Stuffing                                             $996
• 25 cases of Green Beans                                          $999
• 25 cases of Corn                                                     $1,005
• 25 cases of Cranberry Sauce                                 $1,354
• 25 cases of Macaroni and Cheese                           $255
• 300 boxes of Mashed Potatoes                                $963
• 25 cases of Cream of Mushroom Soup                    $716
• 300 jars of Gravy                                                     $1,198
• 25 cases of Canned Pumpkin                                 $1,296
• 25 cases of Evaporated Milk                                     $426
• 25 cases of Applesauce                                           $1,101
• 25 cases of Mixed Fruit                                              $903
• 300 Boxes                                                                    $600