Local veterans, servicemembers, and family members of veterans and servicemembers are eligible to pick up boxes of non-perishable food items from 12 - 5 p.m. November 11 at United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s building in Chisholm.
The free food distribution will take place monthly moving forward through the DAV of Minnesota’s Operation Full Plate program.
“Operation Full Plate started with a pretty simple idea, make it easier for veterans, service members and their families to get some help putting food on the table without creating unnecessary barriers or making people feel like they have to prove they deserve it,” said Disabled American Veterans, Department of Minnesota, Legislative Director Trent Dilks. “We started small, learned a lot through our first distributions, and very quickly saw both the need and the opportunity to grow.”
DAV of Minnesota recently partnered with the St. Louis County Veterans Service Office (VSO) to bring Operation Full Plate countywide. In Northern St. Louis County, distributions will be held the second Wednesday of each month at UWNEMN’s building.
“Expanding to the Iron Range and partnering with United Way of Northeastern Minnesota is exactly the kind of growth we hoped this program could achieve,” Dilks said. They already know these communities, they have the local relationships and infrastructure, and together we can get food closer to the veterans and military families who need it.”
In Southern St. Louis County, distributions will be held the final Tuesday of each month at the Duluth Armory.
St. Louis County VSO Director Nadine Wells called bringing Operation Full Plate to the county “an important step in expanding access to food assistance for our veterans, currently serving service members, and their families.”
“I’m grateful to work alongside United Way of Northeastern Minnesota’s United for Veterans program to bring these resources to our region,” she added. “This is what community collaboration is all about: recognizing a need, bringing the right partners together, and making sure those who have served and sacrificed for our country - and their families - know they are supported right here at home.”
There are no residence or income eligibility requirements for local veterans, service members, and their family members to receive meal boxes through Operation Full Plate.
UWNEMN Healthy Communities Coordinator Michelle Lampton said organizers are hopeful to bring distributions to other counties served by UWNEMN, including Koochiching County and Lake of the Woods County.
“Like all our programming, our United for Veterans initiative is always evolving to fill as many gaps and provide as much comprehensive support as possible,” she said.
Volunteers are needed to assist with food distribution. Organizers hope to have 10 volunteers at each distribution; five volunteers from 12 – 2:30 p.m., and another five from 2:30 – 5 p.m.