PEQUOT LAKES — The Lakes Area Food Shelf announced Monday, Oct. 27, it will open another branch to serve Brainerd and Baxter.
The announcement comes just as food shelves across the state brace themselves for increased need when payments for food benefits like SNAP and WIC quit at the end of the month during the federal government shutdown.
The Pequot Lakes organization's leaders said the decision to pursue expansion comes from discussions with Brainerd lakes area nonprofits aimed at addressing growing food insecurity.
According to data collected by the food shelf, nearly 200 households served are from Brainerd and Baxter, compared to about 120 from Pequot.
Tamara Larsen is the director of the food shelf. She said area health care organizations serving communities across north-central Minnesota send their low-income patients there as well.
"Right now about 38% of our shoppers are coming from Brainerd proper — from that ZIP code — and further, coming from Pierz and Little Falls and Fort Ripley, to go to a food shelf that has nutrient dense food, that has good hours," Larsen said. " ... [It} also is like, no questions asked. We serve everybody who needs food."
For many people, this means a round trip of 50 miles or more.
"It's too hard to see those shoppers traveling so far with cars that aren't necessarily dependable," Larsen said. "They don't necessarily have the gas money. Many of them will leave their car running for fear that it might not start."
Currently, the Salvation Army operates the only food shelf in Brainerd. The food shelf there limits visits to once every 30 days, according to the organization’s website.
Lakes Area Food Shelf is in discussions to acquire a retail/commercial building in the Brainerd/Baxter area to house the new food shelf. The organization will continue to run the food shelf in Pequot Lakes. The cost of expansion is estimated to be $1.7 million, with a target open date of April 2026.
In a news release, the agency reported it will duplicate the process used in 2023 to raise over $500,000. That campaign renovated the Pequot Lakes food shelf and opened a Community Resource Center. The resource center aids clients in navigating social services.
"Often, if the underlying causes of hunger are addressed, reliance on a food shelf is shortened," the organization stated.
Resource center partners include Bridges of Hope, Crow Wing County and Lutheran Social Service.
The Brainerd-Baxter cost is estimated at $1.7 million, covering building purchase, renovation and operation. The target date for opening the new facility is early April 2026.
“We respectfully serve our friends and neighbors without judgment and with a commitment to help overcome the factors that led them to us,” Larsen stated in the release. “An unexpected illness or expense can cause anyone to need a food shelf.”
Visit Lakes Area Food Shelf's website for more information on how to donate.
