Photos: Hunger and help move out to the suburbs

Mark Weizel, Roland Dorr
Mark Weizel, 47, spent time with his grandson Roland Dorr, 5, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011, at their home in Excelsior, Minn. Weizel, a maintenance mechanic, moved his family of five into his brother-in-law's one-bedroom home about two years ago when they weren't able to make the rent at their home in Shakopee, Minn. They had anticipated being here only a couple of months, but then Weizel lost his job. Since then, he has struggled to find steady work, taking temporary jobs as they come. The family visits the ICA Food Shelf in Minnetonka, but still has trouble getting enough for nutritious meals. They also get help from local churches and from His House and Resource West, local nonprofits. Weizel first sought help last fall, when his grandson was hungry, and Weizel realized the refrigerator contained nothing but one egg and some butter. Transportation is also a significant cost to the family. They have one vehicle and drive 200 miles a day to get Weizel, his wife and their daughter to their jobs all over the suburbs. Weizel says it is hard to be struggling in a community where people have million-dollar homes.
Caroline Yang for MPR

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