“This Doesn't Just Happen”: How the St. Peter Community Supports Their Food Shelf

Cindy Favre would love to say that her food shelf is no longer needed.

But, as manager of the St. Peter Area Food Shelf, she doesn't think that's happening anytime soon. “What happens with food shelves is people sort of treat them like an emergency solution,” Cindy says. “But we've been a food shelf here in St. Peter for 43 years, so we're not actually temporary.”

The city of St. Peter, a Minnesota college town of 12,000 people about ten minutes from Mankato, has answered the call to support their food shelf. Whether through hosting food drives, donating funds, or bringing in food donations whenever the doors are open, the city shows up for their neighbors. “This doesn't just happen,” explains Cindy. “We're in a community that has made the decision that, in our town, people aren't hungry. They step up to the plate.” 

When Cindy started as food shelf manager last October, she learned that the board was interested in going through the process of becoming a certified SuperShelf, which means the food shelf is a welcoming and accessible space that provides healthy food. Cindy and her team rearranged the layout of their space, purchased new shelves, painted the walls bright colors, and put up photos of food in the space. “This is a tremendous achievement for us,” says Cindy of the SuperShelf upgrades. “We want it to be a place that people feel comfortable coming to. We want it to be a dignified shopping experience.”

St. Peter Area Food Shelf Manager Cindy Favre

Community volunteers are plentiful at the food shelf and help keep the organization running. Duane, a food shelf volunteer, moved to St. Peter from the Iron Range around eight years ago to be closer to his daughters. He found the food shelf shortly after his move and started volunteering. “I like to keep busy.”

As a volunteer, Duane is a jack of all trades. He serves on the board’s finance committee, helps stock the frozen foods, gathers excess produce from farmers at the end of the St. Peter Farmers Market on Saturdays, and unloads the Second Harvest Heartland truck every other Thursday when it delivers the food shelf’s product order. 

Duane says the food shelf has changed dramatically in the eight years since he began volunteering, and they have seen more and more members of the community since the pandemic. “I think the public is aware and it's accepted to do something like this,” Duane says of visiting the food shelf. “I think that people in need now are more comfortable coming.”

Duane points out the frozen groceries available at the food shelf

Another community member, Karla, answered an advertisement about a board position with the St. Peter Area Food Shelf after having previously helped with the organization’s summer produce distributions. Now, one of her main roles with the food shelf is helping with the distribution of senior food boxes. 

Although the distribution days are hectic, Karla has gotten to know some of the seniors who drive up to receive their monthly food boxes. “I have one guy always telling me about his farm fields and one guy always tells me it's warmer or colder today and if he's not feeling better or he's feeling good,” says Karla with a laugh.

When thinking about changes to government funding and the economy, the food shelf is bracing for future impact by taking things day by day. “There's a lot swirling. I don't know how much to worry about. I don't know how much not to worry about,” says Cindy. “What we're working on here is just trying to take it one step at a time and make the best decisions we can.”