The White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf has also experienced significant changes in the way it serves the community . Early on in the pandemic , the nonprofit switched from an in-person shopping model to a drive-through model where people would be able to pick up prepackaged food .
“ By the end of 2020 and for all of 2021 , we were offering curbside service where we were able to do a little bit of a hybrid model in which we ’ d provide somewhere between 40 and 60 food choices for our neighbors ,” said Perry Petersen , Executive Director of the White Bear Area Food Shelf .
Another thing that changed in 2021 , rather than having people that live in the school district make a monthly appointment , it is now open to anyone in need and as often as needed . “ All people need to do is come to the Food Shelf , obtain a form and fill it out , then put on their hazard lights . One of our volunteers will come out to get the form , then go back into the building , fulfill the order , and bring the food out to their vehicle ,” said Petersen .
White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf preparers unpack food for those in need .
About half of the groceries they have available are fresh produce , frozen meats , dairy and deli items . The other half are dry goods .
“ Fifty percent of our food comes from food rescue and the other half is a combination of donations from the community , or food from sources like local farmers ; or places like Second Harvest Heartland ,” said Petersen , who added the White Bear Area Food Shelf saw a 28-percent increase in the number of people needing its services in 2021 over 2020 . Through November 2021 , the nonprofit had served about 54,900 individuals and over 21 , 867 households .
White Bear Area Food Shelf
1884 Whitaker Street White Bear Lake , MN 55110 Phone : 651-407-5310 Email : info @ whitebearfoodshelf . org
Curbside Pick-Up Food Shelf Hours
Monday & Tuesday , 4 p . m . -7 p . m . Wednesday , Thursday & Friday , 11 a . m . -2 p . m .
Thursday , Free Farmer ’ s Markets-various times and locations
Saturday & Sunday , Closed
Outdoor Donation Hours
Monday & Tuesday , 9 a . m . -6 p . m . Wednesday , Thursday & Friday , 9 a . m . -2 p . m . Saturday & Sunday , Closed
Merrick Inc ., which has been providing life enrichment and work options to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Ramsey County since 1964 , resumed typical operations on July 12 , 2021 . Executive Director John Wayne Barker credits the company ’ s management team and Direct Support Professionals ( DSPs ) for making that happen .
“ Back in February 2021 , while the COVID-19 pandemic persisted , we realized there was a need to stop and focus on what we could control and rallied around the mantra of being BOLD , which stands for Believe it , Own it , Lead it , and Do it . Knowing how important our services are in the lives of clients , we moved forward with doing everything we could to get back to typical operations ,” said Barker . Using some COVID grant funds and a recent rate increase , Merrick has stabilized its DSP workforce so that clients are getting the support they need when participating in the company ’ s program . “ When a few of our business partners bring back our crews , we ’ ll be at full enrollment ,” he continued .
“ We ’ ve been fortunate in that past friends and supporters of the nonprofit have been very generous during the difficult pandemic . We also discovered that those in our orbit responded better when we owned what we could control , rather than be a victim of the situation . Thanks to a lot of people around here stepping outside of their comfort zones , right now our service days look very similar to those before the pandemic . It is also helpful that over 90 percent of clients and more than 75 percent of employees are fully vaccinated ,” said Barker .
Merrick Inc ., proudly offers a full array of day services to almost 400 clients .
Merrick , Inc .
3210 Labore Road Vadnais Heights , MN 55110 Phone : ( 651 ) 789-6200 Fax : ( 651 ) 770-7512 E-mail : Info @ MerrickInc . org vhedc . com 29