Perishable Food Program

Redistributing fresh produce, dairy, bakery & meats to over 22 local food shelves weekly

In January 2015, we began operating a food bank out of our Minneapolis distribution facility. Since this program began, we have moved over 8.36 million pounds of food through our system. Redistributing fresh produce, dairy, bakery and meats to over 22 local food shelves weekly.

Employing efficient supply chain solutions and sound business practices, SVdP has developed a new and sustainable ministry. We believe our success, however, is the result of a clear and unwavering focus on our mission to serve the poor.

Safely moving fresh foods from processers to the dinner tables of our neighbors-in-need aligns well with our core mission.

SVdP has been holding weekly food distributions during the pandemic in
​St. Paul and Minneapolis, feeding over 10,000 people each week!

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St. Vincent de Paul - Twin Cities Provided 1.76 million free meals in 2016, Increased to 2.1 million free meals in 2017

​​We are excited about this new opportunity. After purchasing about $55,000 dollars of needed equipment, the program cost us about $1,650 per week to operate. By cutting some costs, and increasing the volume of our recycling program, we are able to cover the added expenses. All of this food is given to the local food shelves free of charge.

2015

• 18 Food Shelves
• 3,740/Week Served

2016

• 2 New Food Shelves (20)
• 5,482/Week Served

2017

• 2 New Food Shelves (22)
• 6 More Waiting
• 5,700/Week Served

2018

• Serving 26+ Programs
• 6,500/Week Served

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​Priority items to secure:

• Meats: fresh or frozen, poultry & beef.
• Canned Meats & Soups: Tuna, stew & chilli.
• Dry Items: Rice, Noodles, Pasta & Dry Cereal. ​

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• Dairy: Tortilla’s & Yogurt.
• Canned or Dry Beans: baked, kidney, black & chilli.  
• Produce: Fresh fruits & veggies.

We will need to source over 3.7 million pounds of food. Talks have begun at our Council level about making the necessary arrangements to increase capacity for both food distribution and recycling.

​If you are interested in learning more about our perishable food program, Vinnie's Hope, or if you are looking to donate, or if you are interested in partnering on a project, please contact Executive Director, Ed Koerner, at eekoerner@svdpmpls.org.