Regardless of our personal income status very few, if any of us, has escaped the impact of the downturn in our economy.

Unfortunately, we’ve heard it time and time again and know all too well that whether at the pump, the grocery store, or in our daily jobs, our disposable dollars just don’t seem to stretch as far as they used to – particularly for those who, even in the best of times, ar

The current economy is putting a strain on everybody’s pocketbook and food is no exception. You don’t need to watch the evening news to know that food prices are rising faster than the average; just walk down the supermarket aisle.

It’s not exactly how she planned to spend her Tuesday afternoon. But Chevelle Siewerc of Savage knew wait would be worth it.

“I’m having a real hard time. I have two kids and they’re both teenagers and they eat a lot,” she said.

Hunger is a growing problem in Washington County, to the point that Second Harvest Heartland has targeted the county as high needs. To help combat the issue of hunger Second Harvest has brought its Food Outreach Event to several area churches.

Local food shelves and soup kitchens are finding they have to do a lot more with less this summer.

Compared with 2007, there has been an average increase of 1,986 people a month seeking assistance from food shelves in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, which oversees all of the region’s 35 food shelves.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has published a report on their investigation of the lead contamination in hunter-harvested deer. Click here to view the report. A permanent link to the report is available by clicking on “Resources” in the menu and scrolling down to “Venison Donations”.

Changes at the Food Shelf

(ABC 6 NEWS) — The kids are out of school, and with gas and food prices climbing, more people are looking to local food shelves for help.

Since May, Channel One Food Shelf has had more than 300 new families sign up for assistance.

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