Sadly, 44 years later, the “octopus” continues to choke our society.  In Minnesota alone 544,000 people live in poverty.  As a consequence, more people are using food shelves to meet nutritional needs and help mitigate the effects of poverty.   According to the American Community Survey, the poverty rate in St Louis Park is estimated to be 8.4% (or 3,713 people). It was 5.2% in 2000 (or 2,294 people). This is an increase in the poverty rate of 1,418 people, or +61.8%.  In 2011, 4,163 St. Louis Park residents were served at STEP with food.

As a kid growing up in a small town in Iowa, my family was personally affected by living in poverty.  While my parents both worked, there was never enough money, and many times we fell short on food.  What sticks with me most was not the lack of food but the shame I felt being poor.

Food shelves did not exist then, at least not in rural Iowa.  The local grocery store allowed my mother to charge groceries when we needed them.  I was often sent to pick up a gallon of milk, a box of cereal, a loaf of bread or even an occasional candy bar.  I didn’t really give a lot of thought to asking the owner to charge it on my mother’s bill.  Until one day she said in front of group of shoppers, “Your bill is too high.  Your mom has not paid in months.  I can’t let you charge anymore.”  As a 10 year old, I was mortified.  I ran home crying, and did not set foot in that store ever again.

As a society we still have a long way to go to rein in this “poverty octopus”.  However, we have made strides in how we respond to those who don’t have enough food.

Each March, the annual Minnesota Food Share campaign focuses on stocking the shelves across the state of Minnesota.  During this month, STEP is able to get matching funds from MN Food Share.  In addition, all monetary donations designated to the STEP food shelf during March and April will be matched by the Feinstein Foundation challenge.

STEP has a goal to exceed 110,000 pounds/dollars raised with this 2012 campaign.  With your support we can meet this goal and fill people with hope not shame.  Together we can hinder the “poverty octopus.”

–Julie Lapointe, STEP Program Manager

When I was growing up I remember my mother who, when returning home after a visit to family, would many times say with a sigh, “home sweet home.”  The feelings that I recall from her words are kindness, comfort, safety, strength and belonging.

For 36 years STEP has been home along with the feelings associated with home to many people in St. Louis Park.

Over the last 7 years, however, there was great uncertainty around where the home for STEP itself might be.  At times it seemed questionable whether STEP would have a home and continue to exist.

STEP has been so important to so many people in St. Louis Park.  I confess that at times all seemed lost, but looking back I see clearly that to our wonderful Board and volunteers, there was never a thought about giving up.  There came a chorus of support for anchoring a home in the community.  STEP’s volunteers worked long and hard to find this place that we now call home.  They have dedicated hundreds of hours to lead the charge and raise the money to bring us here.

After overcoming many hurdles a new STEP building was found!  It is a building of brick and stone.  However, the specialness of this home is that STEP was built out of the human hearts of the people who know STEP and its mission.  These hearts hold acceptance and respect for those who STEP serves.  They are hearts of strength that demonstrate hope and compassion, persistence, determination and a strong dedication to the mission of STEP.

Our goal is to complete the campaign, fully funded, and retire the mortgage—and claim this place as home, with no strings attached.  We are very close.  Of the $1.3 million originally needed, we have raised all but $70 thousand.  We need that much more in donations.  When we raise this money and pledges are all in, we will pay off the $235 thousand mortgage.  Our monthly mortgage interest is $1,400.  $1,400 will buy one month of the milk we distribute.

All of our donors and volunteers have been very generous.  To ask for another gift, or even to accelerate our pledges so we can get this done, is not a comfortable thing to do.  You already have done so much.  However, I do believe that the facts need to be clear to all, and that the people who know STEP want to know the facts and will do whatever possible to help and complete the Campaign.

Once the Campaign is done, we can direct all of our energy and attention to the mission of alleviating hunger of those in need in our St. Louis Park community.  Please help make this STEP’s “home sweet home” soon.

And as Edgar Guest shares; “It takes a heap of living in a house to make it home.”  A whole lot of living happens each day at STEP.

–Jackie Olafson, STEP’s Executive Director

March is the prime time to maximize your donations to help your neighbors in need!

In 2011, you helped STEP:

• Serve 8,886 households with food—roughly 10% of the St. Louis Park population
• Distribute 749,476 lbs of food, averaging 27 lbs given out to each individual per visit
• Serve 7,288 individuals with clothing
• Provide Back to School Supplies to 458 children
• Provide a Holiday meal to 530 households
• Provide a Holiday Toy to 673 children

DONATE FOOD:

• Cereal—hot or cold
• Jelly
• Soups—Chicken Noodle, Cream
• Canned Fruit
• Rice
• Dried or Canned Beans
• Canned Meat or Fish
• Healthy Snacks
• Personal Care Items

DONATE FUNDS:

• Every $1 donated to STEP has the purchasing power of $9 when we access food from food banks

WHERE TO DONATE:

• STEP: 6812 W. Lake Street during office hours MWTh: 8am to 4pm, Tues: 9am to 8pm, Fri: 8am to Noon.
• Community Drop-off Sites for Food Donations:
  • Knollwood CUB Foods
  • Lenox Community Center

Cash donations to STEP’s food shelf during March & April can also apply to the Feinstein Foundation challenge.  The more donations STEP receives, the more funds we’ll receive from the Feinstein Foundation.  Please write “Food Shelf” on the memo line.

MORE RESOURCES:

2012 STEP March Campaign Flyer

Quick Intro to MN FoodShare-March Campaign

2012 Hunger Facts Sheet

Bring donations to:
Lenox Community Center, Conference Room 111a
6715 Minnetonka Blvd. in St. Louis Park
Donations can be dropped off between 8am and 8pm, Monday Feb. 13th thru Friday, Feb. 17th.

A special THANKS to the Lenox Foundation for again sponsoring this event for STEP!

All community members are welcome to attend and participate in this event.  No Admission Fee is required; however a free will offering is suggested.

The event will be held at:
St. Louis Park Recreation Center, 3700 Monterey Blvd, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Thursday, March 8^th, 2012
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Dinner:  4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Last year’s event raised $13,500.00 to support STEP services for St. Louis Park families and this year the event hopes to raise $20,000 for STEP.  All the revenue comes from donations at the event and local sponsors.

Empty Bowls began nationally in 1990 as a grassroots project of two high school art teachers in Michigan.  They created a way to add excitement and energy to a worthwhile cause. Students were asked to make ceramic bowls to be used at a luncheon. Guests were invited to choose a bowl, were fed a simple meal of soup and bread, and made a donation to the local food shelf. Everyone was given their bowl as a reminder to all of the “empty bowls” in their community.  This style of event continues to help support local food shelves across the nation.

Join us for an afternoon of Bowling, Pizza and Door Prizes to raise funds for STEP’s Home!
Thanks to The Park Tavern for donating lanes for the event!

Saturday, January 21, 2012
11am to 2pm
The Park Tavern
3401 Louisiana Ave. S., St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Buy a Lane: $50 per hour (up to 6 people)
Per Person: $15 per hour
Donations go towards STEP’s New Home

Bring a donation of Peanut Butter or Canned Fruit for a chance to be entered into the hourly drawings.

Make advance reservations by January 19th–CLICK HERE to sign up! Pay at the door (cash or check).

Please note that we’re using VolunteerSpot to schedule the lanes for this event.  Call Jackie at STEP if you have any questions–952-925-4899 x17.

530 St. Louis Park families that received a Thanksgiving Food Basket from STEP

78 Volunteers needed to set-up STEP’s Toy Shop and distribute new toys to over 700 St. Louis Park children

61,921 Pounds of food distributed to St. Louis Park families during the month of November (this number does not include the additional 12,010 pounds distributed for the Thanksgiving Food Program)

97,000 Money left to raise for STEP’s Capital Campaign to pay off our permanent home—Finally under $100,000!

10 Days left in 2011 to make your year-end, tax-deductible contribution to STEP, ensuring that St. Louis Park families don’t go hungry

If you would like to receive monthly email updates or our quarterly newsletter with more STEP information, CLICK HERE!

Thank you for your support of STEP!

Donate NOW by clicking on the picture below:

Donations can also be made at the STEP office or by mailing cash or check to:
STEP–St. Louis Park Emergency Program
6812 W. Lake St.
St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Donations can be made “In Honor of” or “In Memory of”.  Please mark “Capital Campaign” on the memo line of the check.  THANK YOU!

Toys are divided by age and gender.  Many can be used by either a boy or girl.  You can imagine the younger boys’ section with trucks, trains, and blocks.  In the older boys’ section, there are footballs, basketballs,  CD players,  electric guitars, and much more.  The younger girls’ section has lots of dolls, dollhouses, buggies, high chairs, and similar items.  Some of the popular items in the older girls’ section are bead kit sets, CD players, and matching bedding sets.  I certainly haven’t forgotten the infant section with all of the wonderfully creative toys for tiny hands.

Tables in the Toy Shop set up for St. Louis Park families

Each family is unique, and that’s what makes the volunteer experience so incredibly gratifying.  I felt honored as some families shared their stories, and it was so much fun helping them make their selections.  It  is truly one of the highlights of the holiday for me.

I recall one mother who was frantic and a bit teary as she walked in.   She had difficulty getting a ride and thought she’d be so late that everything would be gone.  It touched my heart to watch her find the “perfect” items for her children.  She left smiling ear to ear with only tears of joy.  That can be attributed to the forethought of putting out new toys for each shift to ensure there is a continuous good selection of items.

Last year my granddaughter, Jayde, helped with the distribution.  The minute we left, her first comment was, “I really want to help with this again next year.”  She and I were both very impressed with the generosity of St. Louis Park residents.

Both the staff at STEP and the volunteers have a caring, cooperative spirit.  The event is organized extremely well, and the volunteers are truly the best.  Helping with the holiday toy distribution is a totally joyful experience.  Thanks to STEP and the entire St. Louis Park community for making this happen!

Sharon Anderson has been a STEP Holiday Volunteer for many years now and currently also volunteers in STEP’s Clothes Closet twice a month with her sister.  She is pictured above (center) with her granddaughter, Jade (L), and another STEP volunteer, Nancy (R).

Arline has served the agency as a phone volunteer for as long as they have been involved with STEP and she currently answers the STEP phones one day week.  When talking about her time with STEP, Arline says, “I have loved every minute of it.  More people should do it.  It fosters a great sense of community.”  If you would like to honor Don and Arline’s 30 year commitment to STEP, please consider becoming a volunteer.  It’s a wonderful way to make new friends and give back to your community.  And you’ll love every minute of it.

The above article was shared in STEP’s Winter 2011 newsletter.  The following short article was written by a student at Benilde-St. Margaret’s profiling Arline Turkington and her volunteering at STEP.  The student interviewed Arline in December of 2010.

Arline being interviewed by a BSM student

After dedicating her life to caring for her family, Arline Turkington decided it was time for her to give back to her community and start volunteering. Twenty-five years ago Arline’s husband introduced her to the STEP organization and she has been helping out there ever since.

STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Program) offers many services to those who are in economic crisis. Their main service is the food shelf.  Other services include transportation, clothing, and financial assistance.  As the receptionist, Arline greets all who come through the doors.

Arline first got involved at STEP about twenty-five years ago when her husband retired from the Minneapolis school district and became the chore coordinator at STEP and found out there was a need for more volunteers. “He asked me if I wanted to help out, and of course I said, ‘yes’.” said Arline.

This was not Arline’s first time doing volunteer work. After her children had grown up and went on to college, she started volunteering in her community, but nothing compares to her experience at the STEP food shelf. “This is the most satisfying work I’ve done.” said Arline.

Now she works a three-hour shift once a week as a receptionist, a job she has come to love at STEP. Through her work, she meets and really gets to know those who she works with and helps. “Working with the staff gives a new set of friends,” said Arline.

Arline’s twenty-five year experience at STEP has been life changing for her. “I hope I’m giving back to those who really need help.” says Arline.  And she’s hoping that others will decide to give back as well because many people will be retiring soon, and there is a great need for volunteers.