Help at home during this time of crisis

By Denise Bonsack, Publisher

During this crazy time of uncertainty and un- well, un-everything, the way it seems, there is at least one local bright light on this rocky shore that people in our area can turn to for help.

We Care, the local food shelf in Morgan, has been helping to provide necessities for local people in need for many years. And while many people are aware that they are there, and maybe have even donated to their cause or volunteered to help, their presence has been taken for granted.

Now, more than probably ever before in their history, however, they are a critical piece of the puzzle. 

We Care provides food and other necessities for families during difficult times like this. According to Joe Larsen, who runs We Care, along with members of his family and other volunteers, they have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people requesting help, and the calls keep coming. “They’ve [the calls] probably doubled already,” Larsen commented. “As long as we keep getting food donations to help, we’ll be okay.”  

We Care gets the food that they provide primarily from Second Harvest Heartland and from private and corporate donations of both food and money. Second Harvest Heartland also serves 350 food shelves around Minnesota, which means demand for that they have is going to be high and what they can provide to We Care could well be in short supply, depending on how long this crisis lasts.

Larsen says he was able to stock up on his last order from Second Harvest, but he fears that won’t last long. They have been fortunate to have a good support network of people who donate regularly, but right now they will take all the help they can get, so they can provide all the help they can.

So if you are among those that still has the means to help others, and you’re just not sure how to do that, We Care is a great place to start. 

They can use just about anything they can get right now. Even perishable items will be welcomed at this point because Larsen says, “they definitely won’t sit around here very long.”  He mentioned bread, eggs, butter or margarine, cheese, potatoes, apples, and milk.

Of course, canned and boxed items are good too – especially things that are easy to make like pasta, macaroni and cheese, canned soups, stews and chili, baked beans, canned fruits and vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, and cereal. 

Other items they can use that you might not think about include mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings, and cake mixes. And of course, toilet paper is always welcome.

If you don’t have the ability to donate canned or boxed items, but want to help, monetary donations are welcomed as well, and allow the staff at We Care to get what they need. In fact, assuming that they can still get what they need from Second Harvest, monetary donations go a lot farther for We Care than they could for the average person shopping in the local grocery store. Donations can be sent to We Care, P.O. Box 84, Morgan, MN 56266.

If you are among the people that could use some help right now, all you need to do is contact We Care to schedule an appointment. 

We Care, located at 206 Fergus Avenue in Morgan, is typically open Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 or by appointment. Even during their ‘open hours’ they prefer if people schedule a time to come. 

Call Larsen at 507-249-3822 to schedule an appointment. When you arrive, ring the door bell on the garage to pick up your items.

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