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BEMIDJI — Donations will be accepted throughout the month for the annual March Food Share fundraising event, which benefits the Bemidji Community Food Shelf.

This annual event, sponsored by the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, helps to raise funds for nearly 300 food shelves across the state during the month of March by offering a partial match for all funds donated during the campaign.

The drive, which wraps up on April 6, is an important one for the Bemidji Community Food Shelf according to Executive Director Michael Olson.

"Donations received in March help sustain us through the traditionally low donation months of summer and fall," said Olson in a release. "This year, the demand for food support in Bemidji has surged by 25%. More families are relying on our services than ever before."

In 2023, The Bemidji Community Food Shelf served 37,000 people from 11,900 families. 13,000 of those individuals were children, the release said.

According to Feeding America, more than 44 million people, including 13 million children, experience food insecurity in the United States.

In 2023, 7.5 million people in Minnesota sought help from food shelves, an all-time record number of people. This is a 2 million person jump from last year's record of 5.5 million, the release said.

GMCC’s Minnesota FoodShare began its work in 1982 as a campaign advanced by congregations to restock food shelves in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro area. The effort was so successful, and the need so evident, the March Campaign became a statewide initiative just one year later and is now in its 43rd year.

Donations can be made either by sending a check to 1260 Exchange Ave., Bemidji, MN, 56601 or by visiting and making a secure online donation there.