Minnesota
Food benefits frozen for 20,000-plus families, primarily children, in Minnesota amid shutdown
The federal government shutdown has frozen money for another food assistance program in Minnesota, and the majority of people impacted are children.
Federal money for November food benefits under the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) has been halted as the shutdown continues.
Unlike the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), whose federal funding has also been frozen, MFIP was specifically designed for young families and pregnant women. It’s also temporary, and there’s more than grocery money bundled into it. There’s also a cash benefit to help families cover diapers, medications, school supplies, and more.
However, at least half of that money is designated for groceries, and that part of MFIP is frozen.
Tabitha Pannell is a single mother of two girls. While pregnant, Pannell said she found out her eldest child, now 3 years old, had congenital heart defects and required surgery starting at birth. That’s when she applied and was approved for MFIP.
“I knew that would be challenging, and at the time, I didn’t have a good enough job to sustain providing,” Pannell said.
“And with medical complexities, that’s kind of a scary road as a new parent alone.”
Now, the $650 a month the family of three counts on for groceries won’t be coming in.
“I know I’m not going to be able to make up that particular amount,” she said.
“If these parents, like myself, we don’t have a fallback plan, that gets really tricky.”
More than 23,000 Minnesota families use MFIP each month on average, according to information provided by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
“Families are incredibly worried and concerned about how they will put food on the table. They’re worried about the long-term impacts that it might have on their children’s health,” DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown said.
About $20 million in federal funds goes to these families, mostly young kids, every month, Brown said, adding that a large chunk of that, the grocery money, isn’t coming for November.
Earlier this week, the state committed an additional $4 million to food banks in anticipation of MFIP and SNAP benefits running out.
“A lot of food pantries and food shelves, they’re an option, but they’re going to be overwhelmed,” Pannell said.
$4 million seems like a drop in the bucket, even when it comes to MFIP, which is a much smaller program than SNAP, and Brown agreed.
“Correct,” Brown said. “Right, if this goes into December, I’m incredibly concerned about what Minnesotans will be facing.”
“That’s kind of what I’m bracing myself for,” Pannell said, asked about her family’s situation if the shutdown continues beyond November.
“You know, politics aside, there’s kids that are not being fed, and if that doesn’t infuriate anyone, than that speaks to a larger issue.”
State officials are looking, but have not come up with any additional places to pull money from, Brown said.
“It’s been incredibly discouraging to know that, despite our very best efforts, unless Congress acts, our hands are truly tied,” she said.
The Minnesota Humanities Center has awarded more than $2.8 million in legacy grants for 43 festivals around the state.
This is the second year the Minnesota Legislature has provided funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The Humanities Center received 141 applications and $14,149,967 in requests for proposed projects. The average grant request was $101,475 and 35 percent of applicants were outside of the seven-county metro area.
“I am thankful for the hard work of our review panels in reviewing the applications submitted,” said CEO Kevin Lindsey in a news release. “Funding will support the many unique, diverse and wonderful festivals in Minnesota that build our community and make our state an amazing place to live.”
St. Paul organizations that received funding include: 825 Arts ($122,700), Arts Us Center for the African Diaspora ($49,380), Full Circle Theatre Company ($51,250), India Association of Minnesota ($20,000), Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center ($40,000), International Festival of Minnesota ($194,250), Mizna ($55,000), Monarch Joint Venture ($37,840), Music Mission ($14,545), New Native Theatre ($114,500), Rondo Avenue Inc. ($80,000), Selby Avenue Jazz Festival ($100,000), the United Hmong ($220,000), Twin Cities Jazz Festival ($150,000), Walker West Music Academy ($100,000) and Westside Boosters Youth Athletic Club ($220,000).
Minneapolis organizations include: BIPOC Foodways Alliance ($62,160), Friends of Global Market, Inc. ($25,000), Minnesota People of Color LGBT Pride ($20,000), MSP Film Society ($100,000), Northeast Mpls Art Association ($38,067), Oromo Diaspora Media ($37,972), PCYC ($50,035), Rebound, Inc. ($24,825), SEAD Project ($82,800), Somali Museum ($56,366) and West Broadway Business and Area Coalition ($24,000).
Other groups in the metro that received funding include: Bloomington Pride ($10,000) and Tehor Tibetan Organization of MN ($24,000) in Bloomington; South St. Paul’s Dance Projects by ME ($50,000); Hiddo Soor International Organization ($55,000) and Pan Asian Arts Alliance ($49,800) in Plymouth; Minnesota Vietnamese Language School in Roseville ($16,500); and Brooklyn Park’s Umunne Cultural Association ($60,000).
The San Antonio Spurs had their backs to the wall, so they had a Game 7 mentality from tip-off, and they cruised their way to the finish line against the ravenous Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs are now going on tour and the winner of a Game 3 in a best of seven series when it’s tied advances 73.7 percent of the time, per the NBA’s Facts and Figures.
Both sides were implacable, defending the lane like it was a scared temple and neither had much breathing room until the levy broke for the Spurs in transition. San Antonio’s defense was more potent, holding them to their lowest output of the season (35 points) in the first half, which included a stretch where it forced Minnesota into a stream of bad shots.
Usually, even playoff games with a large difference get close, but the Spurs didn’t permit such shenanigans because Victor Wembanyama’s help defense was omnipresent, despite 10 less blocks, and his teammates were just as unforgiving, hounding the ball before it crossed half court and controlling the boards.
After a press conference earlier today in St. Paul, we continue the conversation on food support across the state. Zach Rodvold with Second Harvest Heartland joins us to talk about growing demand, including estimates that as many as 1 in 5 Minnesota families may be struggling to afford food, and what’s being done to help meet the need.
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