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Emergency meal kit program helps rural communities fight hunger

The program was created by the University of Minnesota Extension to help the state's 250+ small town grocery stores feed rural Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS — Being prepared for a possible self-quarantine means stocking up on at least 14 days of food.

But that task can be more difficult for communities in rural areas.

"We've got about 250 rural grocery stores around the state and those are full-service grocery stores with a population of 2,500 or less," Kathy Draeger with the University of Minnesota Extension says.

Rural grocery stores are on the frontlines of this pandemic and so far Draeger says most grocers can still get the products they need.

But as supply lines get strained, that may change in the coming weeks.

"We saw during the California drought that some stores had less access to fresh produce. So, we’re just thinking ahead on what this situation could be," Draeger says.

To prepare for the worst, the U of M Extension launched a new emergency meal kit program.

Each kit weighs about 60-pounds and costs between $120 and $150.

The kits contain a 14-day supply of food.

The extension has created a tip sheet grocers and community groups can use to start building kits for the sick and vulnerable in their community.

"The kits have things like pancake mix, and peanut butter, and crackers and soups," Draeger says.

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Community members in Clinton and Graceville Minnesota have each set aside six emergency meal kits already.

Church groups and non-profits in other communities have also shown interest.

Draeger says anyone who's worried about the sick and elderly in their community can also start a program themselves.

"You can find our kit, it's online. It has suggestions for how a community could work with their rural grocery store to build this kit and deploy it in your community."

Click here to check out the University of Minnesota Extension tip sheet.

The U of M Extension is also working on a tip sheet to help small town grocers do curbside pickup and online ordering in case the state government decides to close down stores.

The extension is also working on a new program with local farmers to ensure every grocery store has access to fresh produce in the weeks ahead.

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