ST. PAUL, MN - Governor Mark Dayton visited the Horizons Unlimited food shelf at the Division of Indian Work today to thank Jerry's Cub Foods for their contributions to the food shelf. Governor Dayton also presented a personal donation to the food shelf to highlight the importance of giving, and to encourage all Minnesotans to support their local food shelves this holiday season. General Mills also offered a special donation to the food shelf at Tuesday's event.

"I thank Jerry's Cub Foods for its generosity to Horizons Unlimited Food Shelf and its families," said Governor Dayton. "In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I ask all Minnesotans to share their bounty with local food shelves this month."

Since 2011, Jerry's Cub Foods has donated over 180,000 pounds of food to the Horizons Unlimited food shelf through the Second Harvest Heartland Food Rescue program, equaling over 150,000 meals. These donations include over 47,000 pounds of dry groceries, as well as over 93,000 pounds of dairy products, over 17,000 pounds from their bakery, over 7,000 pounds of meat and deli products, and over 16,000 pounds of produce.

"Cub Foods was born and raised in Minnesota, and has been a long-time supporter of Minnesota's hunger relief efforts, contributing over half of a million dollars to Second Harvest Heartland and our local food shelves since 2000," said John Boogren, Jerry's Cub Foods Store Manager.

The Division of Indian Work's Horizons Unlimited food shelf provides access to food for low-income American Indian people in the Twin Cities metro area, all of whom experience food insecurity - 95 percent of those accessing the food shelf are below 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and 5 percent are between 100 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. In 2014, Horizons Unlimited provided food to 964 households and 3,287 individuals, and all participants visit the food shelf at least once per month. On average, up to 10,000 pounds of food are distributed through Horizons Unlimited every month.

"Jerry's Cub Foods has been a wonderful supporter of Horizons Unlimited over the years, and I'm grateful to Governor Dayton for bringing attention to the crucial work we do at the Division of Indian Work," said Maren Hardy, Division of Indian Work Food Shelf Manager. "I hope all Minnesotans will answer the Governor's call to give to Horizons Unlimited and other food shelves throughout our state this holiday season."

Jerry's Cub Foods' donations to Horizons Unlimited food shelf were made through Second Harvest Heartland's Food Rescue program, which partners with local grocers in Minnesota communities to divert food being removed from store shelves, to be donated to help feed hungry people. Second Harvest Heartland is focused on providing more access to fresh, nutritious food to hungry people in Minnesota. Second Harvest Heartland partners with over 350 grocery stores and has collected 32.5 million pounds of food through their Food Rescue program.

"Our mission at Second Harvest Heartland is to end hunger through community partnerships, we know we cannot do our work alone," said Rob Zeaske, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. "As we continue to dedicate ourselves to sourcing and distributing more fresh food for our clients, we are grateful for our partnership with Cub Foods and agencies like the Division of Indian Work Food Shelf that help us achieve our mission."

According to Second Harvest Heartland, one in ten people in our region don't have enough to eat. About 33 percent of the individuals served by the organization are children, and 10 percent are seniors. Additionally, 68 percent of those served by Second Harvest Heartland are working families.

"General Mills has long been committed to addressing hunger across the world and in our hometown. As the holidays approach, we applaud Governor Dayton for drawing attention to the need in the community," said Kim Nelson, Senior Vice President of External Relations and President, General Mills Foundation.

/governor/assets/jerrys_cub_foods_day_tcm1055-100674.pdfA copy of Governor Dayton's proclamation, commending Jerry's Cub Foods, can be viewed here.