News

Join BLEND for a United Way Food Drive!

As the school year closes, most students are thrilled for summer vacation. But some students dread the days because for those who rely on school lunches, summer is synonymous with hunger. To address this issue, the United Way of Central MN is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Day of Action. As part of the event, United Way is encouraging business partners to participate in a food drive, focusing on kid-friendly food donations.

In honor of our partnership with United Way, BLEND is hosting a food drive at South Point and we are inviting everyone to participate! Drop off any non-perishable food items at South Point (3001 Clearwater Road, St. Cloud) during regular business hours (8-4:30, M-F) from now until Wednesday, June 14th. Collection boxes are located in the front lobby, as well as in the work station near break rooms.

If you’re not able to make it to our site, start a food drive of your own to benefit our area food shelves, particularly the family food shelf through Catholic Charities. Also new to our area are the Little Free Pantries, which you can help stock on a goodwill basis. The current Tiny Pantries are located at 3201 Veterans Drive and the corner of Cherry Lane and 16th Ave SE. The Tri-County Homeless Alliance is looking forward to installing several more sites throughout the summer.

Finally, we wouldn’t be BLEND if we didn’t throw in the plug for healthy choices. When selecting items to donate, consider the NuVal ® score as well as how easily a 10-year-old could prepare it by himself. From our friendly Coborn’s dietitian, here’s a list of ideas:

  • Brown rice
  • Black beans
  • Whole wheat
  • Tortilla shells
  • Canned veggies
  • Hormel canned chicken no salt added
  • Whole wheat pasta noodles
  • Smart taste pasta noodles
  • 100% juice
  • Peanut butter
  • Tuna
  • Canned fruit in 100% juice
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Raisins
  • Oatmeal
  • Cheerios
  • Full circle fruit snacks or fruit leathers
  • Beanitos
  • Way better snacks
  • Boom Chica pop
  • Hummus on the shelf

We wish everyone a happy, safe, and healthy summer!