360 Communities food shelves seek volunteers, donations as demand explodes

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — In its 50-plus years, 360 Communities has been serving others. And president and CEO Jeff Mortenson says things are only getting busier.
“Especially in the last three to five years, we’ve seen demand for our services just continue to go up. The wait time is now about five or six weeks out, which is not what we would like to have,” Mortenson said. “In the past, years ago, you were maybe at most a week out, or a few days out. So that shows you how much the demand for food alone has picked up.”
The food shelves at five metro locations serve as many as 10,000 people a year. They’re also the starting point for staff to help address issues like homelessness and abuse. 
Mortenson says volunteering is crucial to the mission.
“Those volunteers that are coming in and working in that space and bumping up against the reality, what’s happened in the community that is too easy to miss, something changes. They’re giving, but they’re also very much receiving,” he said. 
Mortenson says needs are always changing at 360 Communities. They need bodies, but also money, supplies and donations. 
Most of all, Mortenson says by volunteering, you’re seeing a side of your community you otherwise wouldn’t. 
“We live in a very kind of individualistic society, but we’re all connected through community,” he said.
A list of 360 Communites’ highest-demand items can be found on their website.
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