Every holiday we are reminded about the importance of giving, especially giving back to those that need it most. At Valley Natural Foods, we think it is important to give back where you live, especially to those within your local community. We encourage our shoppers to join us in this mission during the holiday season!

Valley Natural Foods is hosting its third annual holiday food donation drive. Throughout December 2012, customers can buy $5.00  donation bags of food for 360 Communities’ Burnsville food shelf location. Simply buy the $5.00 bag of food and place it in the donation barrels by the store’s exit. Both your $5.00 and the food will be donated.  Actually, buying just one bag is a great value for the food shelf! Each bag contains over $20 (retail value) of food items at the cost of only $5.00!  Therefore, by spending just $5.00, you are donating over $25 to 360 Communities. Our goal is to raise upwards of $2,000.

360 Communities provides immediate aid, resources and location connections for individuals and families, helping on their journey to self-sustained success.  In 2011 alone, 360 Communities’ network of 5 food shelves served 10,940 individuals with food, aid and other resources.  Over the last decade, food shelf visits have increased across Minnesota by 164% according to Hunger Solutions MN.  The organization also reports that  3 million people visited Minnesota food shelves in 2011.

360 Communities is in need of food items year-around; see their  list of most needed items for reference .We thank all of our shoppers in advance for participating in this effort! Happy Holidays to all!

Help end childhood hunger! Through October 14th, 2012, assist Valley Natural Foods and other vendors and  food co-ops across the U.S. raise $100,000 to help provide food access to families all across the nation. The goal is to help children, regardless of their circumstances, get the healthy food they need to thrive.

This effort is part of the Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. According to this organization, more than 16 million children or nearly one in five children in America struggle with hunger. Food co-ops across the country are joining in this campaign as part of World Food Day (October 16th), the global movement to end hunger.  All the food co-ops in the U.S. plan to announce their collective donation to World Food Day on October 16th.

Hunger in Minnesota is also rising. Minnesota Partners to End Hunger reports that 80,200 Minnesotans receive food assistance every week and since 2008, there has been a 62% increase in visits to food shelves.

Valley Natural Foods encourages its shoppers to donate to this effort! Throughout this week and into the weekend, we have a cash canister collection at our registers to support the Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.  We also encourage you to drop off food items in our food shelf collection bins located near our exit. All food items are distributed to 360 Communities’ Burnsville food shelf.

There was a “big check” roaming around the co-op today, did you see it? If not, we will fill you in on what was happening!

Valley Natural Foods was proud to present a $1458. 90 “big check” from its Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) to 360 Communities of Burnsville.  Jeff Mortensen, the Senior Director of Innovation/Interim CEO/President  and Tony Compton, the Marketing and Communications Manager, were on hand to receive it and of course, the actual check too! 360 Communities is a wonderful non-profit organization that serves our local community through five food shelf locations along with providing domestic violence outreach and prevention support and many other educational opportunities for Dakota County families.   Last fall, Valley Natural Foods member owners selected 360 Communities as the recipient of of this fund through the annual online ballot.

Valley Natural Foods is one of over 30 food co-ops across the U.S. involved in this giving program referred to as the Give Where You Live Campaign.  Started in 2005,  interest accrued on the store’s original  investment  in this endowment fund is distributed to a local nonprofit each spring. Each year member owners help grow the fund through donation of their patronage refunds and through using their Affinity Credit Card from Spire Community Credit Union. Additionally, anyone can make a tax-deductible, charitable donation to the Valley Natural Foods CCF.  Every October, member-owners get a chance to vote on the non-profit who receives the fund in the spring of the following year.  Past recipients include Dakota Woodlands and the Minnesota Valley Humane Society.

On behalf of 360 Communities’ network of 5 food shelves in Dakota County and Valley Natural Foods, we would like to send out a warm thank-you to all shoppers who participated in our 2011 Holiday Gift Bag Drive. Because of your generosity, we were able to donate nearly $1,600 in cash and $300 in food to 360 Communities.

With nearly 20 families picking up food daily at each of the organization’s five food shelf locations, your donation is greatly appreciated and needed.  Stay tuned as we will do a similar food drive in 2012 for the Minnesota Foodshare’s March Campaign. Again, all proceeds will benefit 360 Communities.

Thanks again for all your patronage and support in 2011!  We wish you and your family a Happy and safe New Year!

Valley Natural Foods Holiday hours reminder: We will be open on Saturday, December 31, until 6:00 p.m., and will be closed on January 1st. Normal hours will resume on Monday, January 2, 2012.

Holiday gift giving is in the air! How about giving to your local food shelf too? Valley Natural Foods would like to help you do just that as it kicks off its 2nd annual Holiday Food Drive starting December 2nd and running through December 20.

Similar to last year, we will have holiday food donation bags located near the registers that customers can purchase for the food shelf for $5.00.  Food bags can be placed in the donation barrels, located near the exit of the store. The food along with the $5.00 will be donated to 360 Communities’ network of five food shelves in Burnsville, Apple Valley, Farmington, Lakeville, and Rosemount. Cash collection canisters for 360 Communities will be located at the registers and of course, you can donate any other dried and canned food items in the donation barrels.

This year the need is as high as ever.  In 2010, 360 Communities’ food shelves served 12,316 individuals, an increase of 9% over the prior year. In 2011, the demand for emergency food has continued to rise. 360 Communities serves over 1,300 families a month between the five food shelves; 400 of those families alone are served at the Burnsville location. Five to ten new families come to each location in a week. The amount of food received is also down, requiring 360 Communities’ Burnsville location to purchase from $700-$2,000 in food a week to serve the nearly 15-20 families that pick up food there each day.

So let’s come together this holiday season to inspire hope and connect people to needed resources! Buy a holiday food bag or maybe two or three for 360 Communities!

Learn more about 360 Communities and the holiday food drive on page 6 of the December 2011/January 2012 issue of This is Living Naturally.

“You Canned Do It” on Thursday, November 17th!

Your generosity can help those in need!

On this day, Valley Natural Foods is teaming up with Burnsville’s  Commonplace to help sponsor a rap benefit concert featuring  touring artist Kosha Dillz at The Garage Community Center. The Garage is located at 75 Civic Center Parkway, Burnsville.  The concert goes from 3:00-6:00 p.m. and  is free with donation of a food shelf item ( any canned or boxed food item). Food shelf items will benefit those in need within Dakota County.  Come show your appreciation and thankfulness this holiday season by donating FOOD on November 17!

This event is part of many other activities  hosted by The Garage to help promote National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 12-20. The culminating event on November 18th will be the  “Grate” American Sleep Out, where youth members will  raise at least $20 a piece by sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that fifty million Americans live in food insecure households and  millions of children go hungry each day. The coalition anticipates that three and a half million Americans will experience homelessness this year alone, including many U.S. military veterans.

Locally, 360 Communities‘  network of 5 food shelves in Dakota County, reports a  9% increase in the number of people served over last year. The demand for emergency food is also rising.

The thought of a family going without enough food during Thanksgiving and the subsequent festive season is a difficult one, and it often prompts people to donate to food shelves in the winter months.  Summer, however, is also a time when families can find themselves very much in need, especially with children out of school during the day.  Here’s a reminder that 360 Communities, a network of food shelves with five locations in Dakota County (Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, Farmington and Rosemount), gladly accepts donations all summer long.

Lead Director of Engagement Doreen L’Allier is excited to fill the facility’s new coolers with milk, eggs and produce from now on. Donations of produce allow children the chance to experience new foods that they might not sample otherwise, and Valley Natural Foods is proud to do their part by donating culled produce and any uncollected harvests from the community garden twice a week during the summer.  Anyone who wants to do the same can make a drop-off from 10a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Friday at the emergency food shelf location in Burnsville. Volunteers are happy to coordinate alternative drop-off times, too.  For more information on 360 Communities follow this link or contact Doreen L’Allier at dlallier@360communities.org.  Particular items such as canned fruit, tuna, chicken, pancake mix, syrup, peanut butter and jelly, canned peas, juice boxes and personal hygiene items such as shampoo and toothpaste can be dropped off in Valley Natural Foods’ donation barrels, located near the store’s exit.

“To fill 300 food shelves across Minnesota”– that was the Minnesota March FoodShare Campaign’s goal. Many white bags could be spotted throughout Valley Natural Foods during the month of March to fill one of our local  food shelves– 360 Communities, located at 501 E Hwy 13, Suite 102,  Burnsville.

Throughout the month, many of these $5.00 bags made it into  customer carts through the checkout and into the yellow donation barrels at the store’s exit. Not only was the food donated but the $5.00 too! As our campaign wrapped up on March 31st, the numbers spoke volumes about the success of this event and we only have our customers to thank!

We raised $622 for our local food shelf and donated 1,321 lbs of food! That means we sold over 100 food bags!

We want to sincerely thank-you, our customers, for your support of this effort; we couldn’t have done this without you. We appreciate your generosity and your keen understanding of its importance for helping create a healthier community. Go Valley Natural Foods!

Last week we introduced the Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign to restock 300 food shelves across Minnesota. In its 29th year, the organization partners with lots of different companies and groups including Valley Natural Foods to help provide food assistance to more than 80,000 people in need across the state. With more than 3 million visits to food shelves in Minnesota in 2009, the need for food assistance is up by 25%.

If you have walked into our store, you have probably seen a few displays of white bags for sale full of healthy food items. By spending only $5.00 for one of these white bags through March 31st, you can lend a hand to help our local food shelf, 360 Communities (located at 501 Highway 13 E, Burnsville).

Don’t be fooled, there is more to that $5.00 food bag than meets the eye. All bags are subsidized with vendor donations making the entire bag’s value closer to $10.00-$15.00. We are also operating this event as a fundraiser. Therefore, the $5.00 you spend will also be donated to the food shelf. That is a wonderful value since area food shelves can stretch cash donations much further than actual food.

Don’t forget that other food donations are also welcome! 360 Communities is always in need of canned fruit, canned tuna, canned chicken, pancake mix, syrup, peanut butter and jelly, canned peas, juice boxes and personal hygiene items such as shampoo and toothpaste.

Valley Natural Foods is participating in the Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign. Come to our store today to buy a food variety bag to help the fight against hunger in Minnesota! Over the holidays, we initiated a similar event that was an overwhelming success because of your generous support. We raised $650 and sold over 160 bags of food for our local food shelf. Now we are trying to do this again with your help! We strongly appreciate it!

What is Minnesota FoodShare?
Each March, for the last 29 years, Minnesota FoodShare runs the largest food drive in the state that restocks 300 food shelves. Minnesota FoodShare contacts thousands of congregations, companies, civic groups and schools to run local cash and food drives to aid in the effort. All food donations benefit local food shelves. Our food drive at Valley Natural Foods will benefit Burnsville food shelf, 360 Communities. 360 Communities, located at 501 Highway 13 E, serves more than 20,000 people each year through its food shelf, domestic violence and early education programs.

Minnesota FoodShare, a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, also advocates for hunger issues along with lobbying the state legislature and U.S. Congress to develop public policy that positively impacts Minnesota families living in poverty.

What is Valley Natural Foods Doing?
We have organized a “food variety” bag drive that is of significant value.  This event will start March 2nd thru March 31st. Not only will we be selling food variety bags at the cost of $5.00 (value of food in the bags is $10-$20) for customers to purchase for the food shelf, the sale of the bags will also act as a fundraiser.  All food bags will be donated directly to 360 Communities. All proceeds from the sale of the bags will be donated to Minnesota FoodShare. Therefore, not only are you buying some great food, you are also donating $5 per bag that will go a long way in purchasing food for needy people in our area.

Why participate in the Minnesota Food Share Drive?
In 2009, there were more than three million visits to food shelves in Minnesota – a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Today more than 80,000 people rely on food assistance a week in Minnesota. Seventy percent of these people have incomes below the federal poverty level, 40 percent are children under age 18, and 35 percent of these households include at least one employed adult.