Olmsted County throwing in $90,000 to fill Channel One shelves

Aug. 18—ROCHESTER — Olmsted County is providing Channel One with an extra $90,000 to help stock food shelves.

The county traditionally provides the local food shelf with $50,000 a year, but inflation and supply issues spurred increased need in recent months.

"It kind of hits them on both sides," Olmsted County Administrator Heidi Welsch said. "They get more clients coming in the door, because more people are unable to afford enough food during the month, and it also costs them more when they have to go out and purchase food."

Channel One Executive Director Virginia Merritt said the local food shelf has seen a 45% increase in visits in recent months, with the majority of newcomers falling between 200% and 300% of the poverty level.

"We are serving the working poor, and the working poor are only coming to us when they need us," she said, pointing to increased rents, gas prices and food costs as significant stressors on many families.

"At the same time, government commodities are down 50%, the donated food is down 60%, and then the food that we are buying costs between 10% and 30% more per item, depending on what it is," Merritt said of federally supplied food, as well as donations from manufacturers and grocery stores.

"At the time that there is the greatest need, we have less food than we've ever had," she added.

County Board Chairman Mark Thein said the federally defined poverty line is set too low, but he also questioned whether serving people earning three times the amount is appropriate.

The federally defined poverty level is $13,590 for an individual or $27,750 for a family of four. That means many of the new faces at Channel One are from households earning two to three times those amounts.

"I can say, honestly, I've lived most of my life at less than 300% of the poverty line, raising my kids," Thein said.

Welsch said the state set the level at 300% in 2020, and some funding requires the food shelf to follow the guidelines.

Merritt also said that tapping the food shelf isn't something that people do just because they can.

"Everyone who is between 200% and 300% could have been coming to Channel One since about May of 2020, but we've only seen the increase in the last couple months as grocery prices have risen," Merritt said. "Those folks could have been at Channel One if they wanted to get a leg up and not have to pay for groceries. They could have been doing that for two years, but no one wants to be at Channel One. People want to be self-sufficient and take care of their families."

Channel One initially sought $120,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds the county received, citing an estimated $20,000 monthly need that started in July.

Merritt said the Channel One board had already authorized dipping into its reserves — as much as $1.9 million — to cover unanticipated costs, and members continue to monitor spending and needs to ensure food shelves are stocked.

"We are spending into our nest egg to keep food on the shelves," she said.

Olmsted County Deputy Administrator Travis Gransee said that shows the Channel One board isn't asking for funding without reason.

"I do think the board at Channel One has made a significant commitment in the effort to ride out this storm," he said. "They are really asking from us for a pittance of what they have committed to riding out the storm this year."

With the commissioners' three-person administrative committee voting 2-1 to approve $90,000 based on $20,000 a month to cover the rest of 2022, starting mid-August, Merritt said she's hopeful other support will be seen.

"The vast majority of our funding comes from the public, not from the government," she said, noting the local community continues to be generous with its support as the needs increase.

Commissioners Stephanie Podulke and Gregg Wright, who supported the added funding, while Thein opposed it, said the group could consider adding more later in the year, if needed.

Welsch said an additional request to continue the added support into 2023 will likely be discussed when the full county board considers the future county budget. The current proposal calls for a $240,000 increase to the county's annual $50,000 Channel One allocation.

Merritt said the need for next year remains uncertain.

"The big concern right now is: Does budget year 2023 look like this one, do grocery prices go down, is there going to be a government intervention?" she said.

Regardless of the answers, Merritt said she doesn't want residents to hesitate if they need to visit the food shelf to feed themselves or their families.

"We will find a way," she said. "No matter what, there will be food at the food shelf."