Meeker Area Food Shelf director Jayme Revermann and assistant director Nancy Mendoza hold a sign showing the results of the recent Lions Club food drive, as they’re joined by Lions Larry Jensen, Tom Kersting and Barry Anderson.
As federal food assistance falls back to pre-pandemic levels, visits to Meeker Area Food Shelf have increased on a record pace.
“This is the highest demand that we have ever had,” Jayme Revermann, director of the Meeker Area Food Shelf explained late last week. “If I serve four families today, that will be the most families we’ve ever had in one month. March is usually one of our slowest months, because people are getting tax money back.”
But tax returns haven’t stemmed the increase, which Revermann said can be explained in large part by the change in assistance amounts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, increased benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the USDA, the “emergency allotments” were intended as a temporary strategy to help low-income individuals and families during the pandemic. But the Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed into law by Congress this year, discontinued the allotments at the end of February.
The allotments allowed SNAP recipients to receive an additional $95 in benefits, or the additional benefit valued up to the maximum benefit for household size, whichever was greater.
“Families are feeling it now,” Revermann said of the SNAP change. “We’re seeing families come into the food shelf that we haven’t seen in three years — that haven’t needed us during the pandemic time — that we’re now seeing.
“(March) is one of our slower months, and we’re seeing the most families we ever have,” she repeated. “During the summertime when we’re really busy, we’re anticipating the need to just skyrocket.”
That’s why Revermann is thankful for the work of the Litchfield Lions Club — and the public at large.
Last week, the Lions Club donated $6,350.41 in cash and 2,257 pounds of food to the Meeker Area Food Shelf, the results of the club’s annual one-day food drive. Lions Club members stationed at Litchfield Family Fare and Walmart stores Saturday, March 25, accepted donations of cash and nonperishable food and personal care items.
And the community responded with its own record, as the cash donations totaled more than any of the club’s food drive organizers could remember. Last year’s drive — the first the club had since 2019, due to pandemic interruption in 2020 and 2021 — brought in 2,462 pounds of food and just over $3,000 in cash donations.
All donations are important Lions Club member Larry Jensen said, but the cash donations have a multiplying effect during March, when the Minnesota Food Share campaign matches donations – doubling and even tripling the purchase power of donation cash.
The Minnesota Food Share campaign is one of the reasons the Lions Club holds its local drive in late March, Jensen said. Going in late March, club member Tom Kersting said with a laugh, allows the club to capture the multiplying power of the match, as well as — in some years, anyway — warmer weather for the club members who stand outside to accept donations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the drive.
Club members have been doing their food drive since at least the 1990s, and every year they are amazed by the generosity of community members and by the touching stories they have of donors.
There are the stories of parents bringing their children to drop loose change into the collection bucket. Club member Barry Anderson shared a story of a man chatting up Lions Club volunteers near the door of Walmart, then leaving for his car, only to make a U-turn and returning to open his wallet and hand a volunteer a $100 bill. Other donors have been food shelf beneficiaries in the past.
“Multiple people come through, as they’re going into the store and say, ‘Yeah, I’ve used,’ and then they come out with a grocery cart full (to donate),” Kersting said.
While that kind of story might seem unusual to some, it isn’t to Revermann.
“You would be surprised the people that have needed our services, but when they’re in a position that they can give back, they do,” she said. “And I’ve been here long enough to see the cycle of that.”
Lately, Revermann said, she’s also seen “little kids having birthday parties, but instead of getting gifts, they’re asking for donations for the food shelf. So that’s a really fun way that kids are learning to give back.”
Acts like the Lions Food Shelf and birthday donations all will be important as the need for assistance is likely to continue to grow, Revermann said.
It’s a troubling to see that need, but she said, the food shelf relies on its ties to local churches and other organizations, or makes some social media posts about the need to restock the shelves, and almost without fail, there’s a positive response.
“We’re lucky to have a community that gives back,” Revermann said.
Volunteers at ProWorks in Litchfield stepped up to help fill thousands of plastic eggs for the Litchfield Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday.
It takes many hands to fill the thousands of eggs needed for Litchfield’s Community Easter Egg Hunt. Folks at Ecumen were willing to help.
If you happened to stop by Ecumen or ProWorks in Litchfield last week, you would have been greeted with a colorful scene — people filling plastic eggs. Yup. It’s that time of year when organizations gear up for their annual Easter Egg hunts.
The eggs are for the Litchfield Downtown Council’s annual Easter Egg Hunt, set for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Litchfield Civic Arena. The hunt, for children 12 or younger, is a community affair made possible with funds from Litchfield Baseball Association and Greater Litchfield Opera House Association Inc.
“We stuff about 4,000 to 5,000 eggs,” said Darlene Kotelnicki, a member of the Litchfield Downtown Council. “This year we asked the clients at ProWorks and senior citizens at Ecumen. They both said, ‘ask us again!’ I suggested Ecumen, and Gary Barnes, a board member, suggested ProWorks.”
While that sounds like a lot of eggs, Litchfield Downtown Council plans for 500-plus children age 12 or younger. Kotelnicki said it took 12 minutes last year to scoop up all those colored eggs.
They also rope off sections by age, with a spot for preschoolers. This year, they are adding an area for children with special needs.
This brings up the question — What are the plastic eggs stuffed with? Goodies galore is the best answer.
“Candy and coupons for treats and prizes,” Kotelnicki said. “We got coupons from Sweet Escape (an ice cream treat), Jimmy’s Pizza (free mini pizza), Songs of Summer (various prizes), McDonalds (various food coupons), and Litchfield Baseball Association (various prizes). We got the candy, Easter baskets and bikes which will all be given away.”
Litchfield Downtown Council stepped up to do this event a few years ago when no one else was doing it. This year, as in past years, the group is partnering with the Litchfield Opera House. Following the Easter egg hunt, there is an Easter party, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, with games, crafts and prizes.
Kotelnicki said with the Easter egg hunt moving to the Civic Arena, the Litchfield Opera House Easter party will move with it. Events are 10 a.m.-noon.
The best part? Admission is free and the public is welcome
The 2022-2023 school year might still have a few months to go, but the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School Board continued its preparations for the 2023-2024 school year Monday.
A significant personnel decision addressed at the March 27 board meeting was replacing retiring Athletic and Community Education Director Marj Maurer with a new director. But that task was not without controversy as longtime board member Scott Stafford questioned whether a district the size of ACGC really needed a full-time athletic and activities director, especially when trying to reduce its budget by about $200,000 next year.
Other board members and Superintendent John Regan noted that, although the athletic director portion of the job was the most visible, in reality the position, which has been reconfigured in the past to save the district money, filled three roles that require a certified teacher: athletic/activities director, community education director and preschool director. Of these roles, Regan said the preschool and community posts are more important as increasing preschool enrollment brings more families into the district.
At the same time, he added, it is known that “the more kids are involved in activities, the better they do,” making the athletic director position also significant. It could be argued, he acknowledged, that having one person wear three hats probably wasn’t the best, but saving the district about $50,000 makes rearranging duties a fiscally prudent option. Maurer has responsibilities in all three areas now, but a newly reconfigured job description is expected to be even more fiscally efficient.
Stafford indicated that the applicant selected was well qualified, but that hiring should be held off until the district resolves all staffing changes for the coming year. Currently, one elementary vacancy is not expected to be filled and an additional special education teacher will be hired. But the district might trim at least one other position and is also cutting back on its staffing contracts with the West Central/Southwest Cooperative, Regan noted.
Most of the rest of the board agreed with Regan and Board Chairwoman Megan Morrison and Treasurer Sara Blom on the benefits of getting a suitable activities director lined up before Maurer retires. Matthew Zupke was hired on a 5-2 vote, with first-term board member Christine Buer supporting Stafford’s opposition.
Stafford also raised questions about the finance committee’s plans to reduce the number of fourth grade sections from four to three next fall, saying that some classrooms at the elementary school do not appear large enough for as many as 24 students. Regan expressed confidence that a few extra students could be accommodated. It had been noted at the February board meeting that total district enrollment was down about 20 students compared to last year, prompting efforts to trim staffing.
Other personnel business
The board accepted the resignation of Spanish teacher Katie Hentges, and expressed appreciation for her 16 years of service.
A new ag teacher, Ruby Radunz, was hired, along with three paraprofessionals, Samantha Anderson, Faith Froemming and, for summer daycare work, Jordan Olson. Another paraeducator, Ashley Needham, resigned.
To fill several custodial vacancies, six part-time housekeepers were contracted for half-day shifts: Jeremy Wainright, Linda Compton, James Gustafson, Dean Maxon, Ryan Schwartz and Austin Rusch.
Calendar adopted for 2023-24
The board also adopted a calendar for the 2023-24 school year, with the district continuing its four-student-days-a-week schedule. Classes begin for students on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and end May 23. Graduation will be Friday, May 24. Winter vacation would be Dec. 22 through Jan. 2.
There are three “snow days” built into next year’s calendar, but the board conceded that there would likely also be up to five “e-learnin: days,” potentially replacing a couple of the snow days. The calendar will include a note that “e-learning days will be established according to the board-approved e-learning plan.” This plan is anticipated to be ready by June. Blom opposed adopting the calendar at this time, saying she wanted the e-days more firmly designated, but the motion passed 6-1.
Summer college classes
Regan told the board that two summer school “college level” classes would be offered free to high school students this summer. It is part of a cooperative venture between several rural school districts.
Among other business:
- The board sold several pieces of surplus shop and maintenance equipment to the highest bidders.
- The board signed contracts for mental health, special education, technical, administrative support and training services from the WC/SW Cooperative. Individual contract prices are higher this year, Regan said, but the district will discontinue two current contracts as another cost-saving measure.
- The board conducted its first evaluation of Regan last month, met in closed session, and continues to work on goals and transition with him.
- An auditing services proposal with Conway, Deuth and Schmiesing was approved.
- Action on the district’s three-year Strategic Action Plan was delayed pending more details from ACGC's 2022 state assessment scores. On a three-year average, district scores exceed the state average, but board members asked Regan to clarify if the district has made actual internal progress in successive years.
- School officials discussed initiatives currently being discussed at the state Legislature, including free school lunches, potential increases in state aid to education, and the problems that occur when legislatures pass new initiatives that may contain ongoing “tails” for which local districts may be made responsible. Stafford and Board Clerk Jeanna Lilleberg and Regan have been involved in contacting legislators.
