St. Paul launches SNAP relief food drive
The City of St. Paul has opened a citywide food drive this week to support residents affected by the SNAP disruption during the federal shutdown, with donations accepted during normal hours at four community and recreation centers. Donors must provide new, unopened shelf-stable foods and hygiene items; details and hours are posted at stpaul.gov/reccenters and stpaul.gov/fooddrive, and the city lists helplines for residents needing immediate food assistance.
Local Government
Health
📌 Key Facts
- Drop-off sites: Highland Park (1978 Ford Pkwy), Arlington Hills (1200 Payne Ave), North Dale (1414 St. Albans St N), Oxford (270 Lexington Pkwy N).
- Requested items include canned proteins, rice/pasta/lentils, canned fruits/vegetables/soups, peanut/seed butters, cereals, shelf-stable milk, culturally familiar staples (e.g., masa harina, jasmine/basmati rice, halal options), sealed baby items, and hygiene products.
- Donations must be during normal center hours; avoid glass, open/expired, homemade, alcohol, or refrigerated/frozen items. Help lines: Minnesota Food HelpLine 888-711-1151; Ramsey County Food Resources 651-266-8500.
📚 Contextual Background
- A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies, causing many federal services to pause and some employees to be furloughed.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal nutrition assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
- SNAP benefits are distributed electronically through state Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems and vendors.
- SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that provides food benefits to eligible individuals and households.
- In 2024, SNAP provided assistance to about 41 million people, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children.