Photo: Cook County Ruby's Pantry Facebook Page

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - January 13, 2025


For almost 10 years, Ruby's Pantry has been a staple as an affordable food source in Cook County. However, the program is at risk of being discontinued due to declining participation. 

Minnesota-based Ruby's Pantry

Ruby's Pantry is a subsidy of the organization Ruby's Hart, which is a Minnesota-based organization that takes surplus food from grocery stores, food suppliers, and other entities, and distributes items across 80 pop-ups in MN, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The mission of Ruby's Pantry is "To activate people in being alert to the needs of others and to be proactive in encouraging faith, showing friendship and meeting tangible needs of neighbors, friends and strangers regardless of race, religion or ethnicity." Ruby's Pantry is for anyone who eats and/or wants to expand their grocery budget. Each share is $25 for $60-$150 worth of food, and there are no income requirements. Gift certificates for free shares are available for those who need them. Money collected for the shares goes towards "operational costs like trucking, gas, and warehouse staff," according to the Ruby's Pantry website. 

Food is collected and delivered by Ruby's Pantry to each pop-up location, then sorted and distributed by local volunteers. Each pop-up location, including the one in Cook County, must be sponsored by a church. According to Beth Kennedy, one of the Cook County Ruby's Pantry organizers, Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church, a small church family of about 40 people, has been the sponsor for almost 10 years. In order to remain an active pop-up location, Ruby's Pantry has a minimum order of 168 shares (people can buy as many shares as they want or pick up for others). Cook County typically distributes to 150 families on average each month. 

Most recent food security data 

Over the past 10 years, local residents' participation in Ruby's Pantry has ebbed and flowed. During COVID, Kennedy shared with Boreal Community Media that around 400 shares were being distributed each month. In December 2024, less than 100 shares were distributed. 

The most recent data regarding food security in Cook County is for 2023. According to the U of M Food Security Dashboard, 11% of residents are food insecure, which is described by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life.” According to the Cook County Health Assessment (2023), “520 individuals in Cook County could be defined as ‘food insecure,’ representing 9.6% of the population.” 

Hunger Solutions, a non-profit that is working to end hunger in the state of Minnesota, states that since the pandemic began, visits to food shelves across the state have continued to break records - especially in rural areas. In 2023, Minnesotans made 7.5 million visits to food shelves, which was over 2,000,000 more than in 2022. Part of the reason is that many COVID-related programs ended in 2023. 

Cook County organizations that address food security, specifically Ruby's Pantry, saw increased participation in share pick-up as recently as May 2024. According to organizers, 180 shares were ordered that month due to selling out in April 2024. 

Decrease in local participation

It's too soon to know data from 2024, but if food security trends continue or are similar to 2023, visits and participation in food shelves or other food security programs likely won't show a large decrease. So why has participation in Cook County Ruby's Pantry slowed down? According to Kennedy, it could do with the quality of food in recent years. "We [Cook County Ruby's Pantry organizers] understand that the food quality is not what it was years ago, but it varies month to month. We are told that the surplus food demand due to the many natural disasters in recent years has reduced the surplus food that was once provided to Ruby's," she shared. 

This month, the Cook County Ruby's Pantry organizers have received permission from the main Ruby's Pantry to order 144 shares. However, Kennedy shares that this level is "not sustainable" and that there is a possibility "we could be told that unless we order the minimum, we will not be able to continue our distribution in Grand Marais," she said. 

The next distribution event is on Tuesday, January 14, at Great Expectations School. Organizers have a goal to distribute all 144 shares and have encouraged people to use any outstanding gift certificates, as "we don't know our future." If people aren't able to make it, others can pick up for them. "Anyone can pick up as many shares as they want," Kennedy shared. 

The Cook County Ruby's Pantry leadership team will be meeting to discuss other food distribution possibilities in case the 144-share distribution goal isn't met on the 14th, or Ruby's Pantry will not continue delivery to the area. The group is open to ideas, which can be sent to Carol at [email protected]. 

"We will not stop our efforts to provide quality food to Cook County residents...we don't intend to end our relationship with Ruby's Pantry, but we want to be prepared in case we are dropped from their program," she added. 

Next Distribution Information

Cook County Ruby's Pantry
January 14, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Great Expectations School

The distribution vehicle line will form on the south side of Fifth Street and to the west of Great Expectations School. Cars arriving early should be careful not to block driveways or cross streets.

Volunteers are needed. Contact Carol at [email protected] for more information or to sign up.