|
Fight Hunger and Food Insecurity
One of Merging Waters’ top social justice priorities is caring for our neighbors facing hunger and food insecurities. The Action and Justice Team has two opportunities for our members and friends to address this important issue.
Share the Plate Partner for November-Second Harvest Heartland
Second Harvest Heartland is at the center of a giant food network, working with over 1000 partners to get food to hungry people in Minnesota and across the Midwest. Their mission:
“We believe hunger is a solvable problem…Every day, we’re working together to source and distribute food efficiently, advocate for effective policies and programs, and invest in new ways to end hunger in the heartland.”
Second Harvest is working to help people maintain SNAP benefits
Since last July, 26,000 Minnesotans, many of whom are children, have already lost their SNAP benefits due to federal changes to the program.
Federal lawmakers are currently considering enacting a two-year delay on implementing new federal mandates that would put Minnesota taxpayers on the hook for $145 million more per year as soon as October of 2027, as the federal government seeks to shift benefit costs to the states for the first time.
Second Harvest has relaunched their federal advocacy campaign in support of a SNAP cost shift delay.
Contact your federal lawmakers today and tell them to give states like Minnesota more time to strengthen SNAP, which will both help families facing food insecurity and avoid higher costs for all Minnesotans. Use the hyperlink below to submit your messages to your legislators.
Hundreds of Minnesotans like you contacted their federal lawmakers during the first run of this campaign in July, and we’re counting on you to keep the pressure on by contacting them again—because the more lawmakers hear from you, the more likely they’ll be to take action.
Flavors of Our Community
From November 1-30, Merging Waters Unitarian Universalist Congregation (MWUUC) will be participating in the United Way’s “Flavors of Our Community” project. Flavors of Our Community supplements the staples found in food shelves with herbs and spices unique to a culture. You can choose an herb/spice mix for a particular culture, package them, and put them in the donation box in the lobby. (See Volunteer at Home: Flavors of Our Community Pantry Packs | Greater Twin Cities United Way). You may also donate some of the recommended canned goods if you’d like to provide a complete meal.
Many of the herbs and spices can be purchased at supermarkets like CUB. However, there are many small grocery stores that serve our immigrant neighbors with foods and other goods unique to their cultures. Please consider supporting these businesses. See Ethnic Grocery Stores
October Share the Plate
The generosity of the MWUUC community resulted in $467.00 being donated to Mist Ranges. Thank you for your support of this organization.
| 
