Area groups affected by Channel One’s program changes

As the school year began, some area organizations found themselves looking for new food sources after Channel One in Rochester decided to discontinue partnerships with 11 southeastern Minnesota food shelves and backpack programs.
The backpack programs are generally run by community volunteers in cooperation with school districts with a focus on providing food to students on weekends when they are unable to get meals at school. Eligible students are able to discreetly receive the food at no cost to the parents.
Locally, the most affected backpack program was at Triton.
In the past, the Triton program has obtained most of the food through Channel One, said Kristy Faber of Triton Community Education. This year’s program begins in October, she said, and an alternate source as been found, “Every Meal,” which operates out of Roseville.
They provide, Faber said, food bags pre-packed and delivered to the school at a cost of $6 a bag.
Last year, she said, the program provided more than 90 bags of food each week to help students get through the weekend.
The backpack program begins in October of each school year and because of the change this year it will not be available to high school students. Those students, Faber said, will be directed to use the Pantry of Faith at Faith Lutheran.
It is expected that the cost to provide food to the students will cost about $15,000 a year. Donations are welcome, she said. Information is available by contacting backpack@triton.k12.mn.us.
The Hayfield Community Backpack Program was not affected too much by the decision because it “rarely used” Channel One as a source of food, said Jamie Hansen, the social worker at Hayfield Community Schools.
She said they used Channel One more when the program first started but the volunteers wanted to be sure they got food that the students would eat. Now, she said, the program is primarily funded by community donations.
Denise Phillippe at Trinity Lutheran Church does most of the shopping for food, Hansen said, taking advantage of the best prices in the area.
Hayfield residents interested in donating to the program or volunteering can contact Phillippe at Trinity Lutheran at 507-477-2248.
In Kasson, Food for Friends at St. John’s Lutheran Church provides child-friendly, nutritious and easily prepared food to Kasson-Mantorville students in Headstart, Preschool and Elementary School. Each backpack also contains vouchers to obtain fresh bread, milk and eggs.
Although they have used Channel One as a resource they also accept food donations as well as monetary from the community.
Middle and High School students in the district have access to an in-school food shelf.
Karen Peterson coordinates the program in Blooming Prairie and said that although they are still able to purchase food from Channel One, they have been using it less and less each year. Channel One, she said, has been prioritizing food shelves more than backpack programs the past several years and Blooming Prairie has been doing more with food vouchers and working with the local Vandals grocery and Kwik Trip.