Photo: Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash.com

From Cook County, MN - April 3, 2026

The Cook County Food Access Council is working to improve how people get food. This group of local partners meets monthly to help make food easier to access across the county. The Council met on April 1st, with a variety of local groups, volunteers, and community leaders present. They talked about how to work together and respond to new needs.

A primary topic of discussion was the recent closing of Ruby’s Pantry in the area. Ruby’s Pantry was not only a place to get food, but also a welcoming space where people could connect without feeling judged. Now that it has closed, other food programs may have to serve more people. The Council is starting to look at ways to help.

“Last Wednesday's conversation was an initial step back to look at the full picture of of food access,” said Grace Grinager, Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director. “We want to use this moment as an opportunity to ask ourselves how well the current programs and systems we have in place work to ensure that all community members have enough nutritious food to meet their needs throughout Cook County.”

During the meeting, the group talked about both short-term and long-term ideas to improve food access in the community. They discussed supporting current programs like the Food Shelf and AEOA food distribution services. They also shared ideas for new solutions.

Some ideas for future efforts included starting a community survey sooner than planned and working with food suppliers and local stores to make food more affordable. The group also said it is important to keep programs easy to use, flexible, and welcoming to everyone.

Food Access Council members have worked collaboratively on an online guide that directs people to relevant resources throughout the community: https://tinyurl.com/4ucx2nrx.  Individuals who would like additional support in learning about or applying for other available food resources and nutrition support programs are always welcome to call Cook County Public Health and Human Services to request an intake appointment (218-387-3620).

In addition to responding to immediate challenges, several groups are continuing to advance related work, including food-as-medicine initiatives, school-based food programs, and improvements to local food distribution infrastructure.

The Food Access Council continues to welcome new members to participate.  If you’d like to attend a meeting or get more involved, please reach out to Kristina Mattson, Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Coordinator with Cook County at [email protected]. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 6th at 1:30 pm at Cook County Higher Education (with a virtual option available via Zoom).