As the federal government shutdown continues, Cook County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) is preparing to respond to additional community members in need of food through organizing and hosting a food drive at the Cook County Courthouse, publishing up-to-date information on local food resources, and providing gift cards to Ruby’s Pantry and local grocery stores (made possible by generous donations from Empty Bowls, local community members and businesses).

Due to the shutdown, food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) will not be issued for November. The SNAP and MFIP programs provide critical support to eligible households with lower incomes that face food insecurity. Combined, SNAP and MFIP serve an average of 235 people in Cook County each month with food benefit amounts that range from $23 to $1,158 depending on factors such as income and household size. The average food benefit amount per month per participant is $154 and each month federal food benefits through the SNAP and MFIP programs provide $36,253 to Cook County community members. Funds from SNAP directly benefit our local economy with each dollar in benefits generating $1.50-$1.80 in local economic activity. When people don’t have the resources to get enough food, their health suffers as a result—federal food assistance programs help prevent these negative outcomes.

In addition, the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), which administers the SNAP program at the state level, has been alerted of a text scam.  This scam claims that all Minnesota residents qualify for emergency food relief. The text asks recipients to click a link to claim funds.  If you receive this text, do not click the link provided.  Instead, please contact a PHHS intake worker at 218-387-3620 if you have questions about benefits.

Locally, County-based staff are finding creative ways to help support the food needs of community members. “While these efforts cannot fully replace the amount of food assistance dollars provided through federally funded programs like SNAP and MFIP, we as a county public health and human services agency want to do what we can to help fill the gaps so that no one experiences the pain of hunger or the need to choose between paying for food and other essentials like housing, transportation, or utility costs,” says Plamen Dimitrov, PHHS Interim Director. 

From now through the end of the year there will be a food drive set up in the lobby of the Cook County Courthouse. There are several bins, each labeled for a specific type of item (canned goods, cereal, household goods, etc.). This system is largely “self-serve,” meaning that individuals can donate unopened, non-expired, non-perishable items to the appropriate bin and/or take items that they need. There are also community resource lists, with information about other places and programs that offer food assistance in the local area.

Individuals in need of food support can also call PHHS at 218-387-3620 or come to the PHHS front desk in the Courthouse to request a Ruby’s Pantry voucher or a gift card to a local grocery store.

If you would like to make a monetary, tax-deductible donation through PHHS to support providing local grocery gift cards to individuals in need, please contact Andi DeBoer, PHHS Fiscal Officer, at 218-387-3622.  

About Cook County, MN 

Cook County encompasses the sovereign nation of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; the City of Grand Marais; the Townships of Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder; and unincorporated areas in the easternmost part of Minnesota’s North Shore. Cook County Government values transparency and strives to deliver superior services and programs in a fiscally responsible way. We value the dignity of all County residents and seek to create a community that provides opportunity for all. Many of our offices are in the Cook County Courthouse at 411 W 2nd St, Grand Marais 55604. Other departments and facilities, such as the Airport, Community Center, Highway and Sheriff are located nearby. Call 218-387-3000 or visit: https://co.cook.mn.us