Volunteers come together to fight food insecurity at local grocery stores

EAGAN, Minn. — A two-day fundraiser hosted by seven Cub Foods stores across the metro is hoping to make a dent in food insecurity in the area.

The goal of the fundraiser was to raise $50,000, and organizers with Open Door, a hunger relief organization, were hoping to attract 420 volunteers over the weekend. 

Elected officials, police officers and church groups gathered to help.

"It's interesting to look at where we were at 15 years ago when I started working with the Open Door, and where we're at now as far as the number of people served every month," said Scott Swenson, SVP at Drake Bank. "The generosity is overwhelming when you look at how great people are about wanting to make a difference."

During the pandemic, Open Door staff say they faced a remarkable increase in need. 

"When you give us money, we have the ability through our partners to make that money go a lot further. This weekend, the cash we generate will help us buy food for months to come," said Jason Viana, the Executive Director of Open Door.

There are additional volunteer opportunities on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.