With School Supply Stockpile, CHUM Makes Plea for Food, Monetary Donations

Monetary Donations Made Before July 31 will be Matched Dollar for Dollar

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s hard to believe, but the return to school is just around the corner.

This year, instead of doing a back-to-school drive, CHUM is looking for your help with feeding Northland families in need.

With virtual learning taking place for much of last year, the organization has plenty of school supplies already in stock for this fall.

With a stockpile in store, CHUM is switching the need to monetary and food donations.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of donors last year, we raised enough funds to cover the costs of 1,400 complete school supply kits last year, and another 1,400 kits for this year, that will be distributed in late August, to families in need. Instead, CHUM is asking for help to continue our mission of feeding the thousands of individuals and families that come to our door every year,” said Scott Van Daele, director of distributive services for CHUM.

The center’s food shelf continues to see the need for food assistance rise in the region.

This summer, donations of food and cash at the food shelf are lower than at any other time of the year.

CHUM says monetary donations are greatly appreciated because they go further and make a larger impact than a donation of non-perishable food items.

“It gets harder and harder. We continue to call it the COVID shuffle, just because every week we’re shuffling from here to there for this need, that need. We’ve seen an increase in elderly clients coming in who maybe had not come before because of the stigma, but they’ve reached a point where they just can’t deal with it anymore,” said Van Daele.

If you make a monetary donation to CHUM before the month’s end, it’ll be matched dollar for dollar thanks to the ongoing Open Your Heart Fundraiser happening this July.

Click here to donate today.