State awards $15K to mobile food bank

The state Department of Human Services has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Emergency Foodshelf Network, so that it can expand its mobile program.

The food bank currently delivers food once a month to people in 17 low-income housing complexes in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

"A lot of the residents of these high rises have difficulty or transportation barriers getting out to a food shelf," said Lori Kratchmer, its executive director. "So we essentially bring the food shelf to them."

The additional funding will allow the food bank to expand delivery to nine more sites -- and bring an additional 73,000 pounds of food to low-income communities. It will also help add fresh produce and milk products to the food packages.

The grant was made possible when Minnesota received a $1.2 million federal bonus for increasing food stamp use among eligible Minnesotans.

State officials are also using part of the bonus to help Spanish-speaking Latino families sign up for food stamps and to fund a pilot program to encourage food stamp recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables.