United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) invites you to participate in its first-ever culturally relevant food drive during Foodshare month for Staples, Sauces, and Spices to Support Food Shelves Serving a Variety of Cultures.
According to Hunger Solutions, Minnesotans visited more than 5.5 million food shelves in 2022. For immigrants, refugees, and Communities of Color who disproportionately rely on food shelves, it’s challenging to find food they are accustomed to eating and food that represents their cultures and preferences. One of the main barriers to using food shelves among people who seek support is inaccessibility to familiar foods they know how to cook.
“Food is one of the many ways we celebrate important cultural traditions,” said Meg Louwagie, CEO of UWSWMN. “Through our ‘Flavors of Our Community’ program, we are asking volunteers to donate items that reflect the diversity of our region.”
UWSWMN aims to engage volunteers to donate supplies that will supplement what is available from our nonprofit partners that offer food shelf services. The requested items contain essential items for the diverse cultures we have in our area.
To participate, go to https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/904094CA9AE2EA2F49-flavors, select the items you want to donate, and drop them off at the UWSWMN office at 800 E Main Street, Marshall, MN 56258. The food drive runs from March 1st to March 31st.
UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA ACCEPTING COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT APPLICATIONS
United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) is excited to announce that we are now accepting Community Impact Grant applications through our online process.
United Way fights for every person’s health, education, and financial stability in every community. In southwest Minnesota, we focus on health, education, financial stability, hunger, and safety & well-being. All programs that apply for funding must meet our guidelines, including, but not limited to, aligning to at least one of our priority areas; serving people in our service area; and operating as a 501(c)(3) organization, public school, or unit of government. UWSWMN is excited to welcome new grant requests that have yet to apply in the past as long as they meet our guidelines. Complete guidelines, including a service area listing, are available on our website at UnitedWaySWMN. org/CIG.
UWSWMN requires attendance by a program representative at one of our in-person grant workshops. These free workshops are intended to give you the best chance of success with your application, learn more about the UWSWMN grant process, and helpful tips in grant writing. Workshops will be held in person on the following dates/times: Thursday, March 2, from 9:30 am -10:30 am and Friday, March 10, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Please send questions and required RSVPs to unitedway@unitedwayswmn.org or call 507-929-2273.
The grant application deadline is Monday, April 3, 2023, at 4:00 pm; no extensions will be granted. All applications submitted online meeting the requirements will be reviewed by a team of trained community volunteers who will recommend funding to the UWSWMN board of directors.
