BEMIDJI COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF
Faith, Food. Hope.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There are two Bemidjis: The one that we would like to see--a happy summer destination, lake homes, happy and healthy families, and the other that we prefer not to see: many disenfranchised people just struggling to live. Beltrami County is the poorest and least healthy county in Minnesota. We are a rural area and our county is very large. Transportation is a huge barrier for families when accessing food, healthcare and other services. Bemidji Community Food Shelf provides emergency food assistance to food insecure households in Beltrami County and the Bemidji School District. We meet a critical need in the community. In 2019 we transformed to a SuperShelf and distributed over 925,000 pounds of food. We work hard to provide and encourage healthy choices and to make our food shelf welcoming to all. We are looking at new ways to work with our customers to expand their knowledge of healthy food and healthy food preparation.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The Food Shelf Farm
We operate a five-acre farm adjacent to the food shelf. It is overseen by one part-time staff and relies on volunteer labor. Over the past six years we have distributed about 50,000 pounds of produce to food shelf families. We have two high tunnel greenhouses and a deep winter greenhouse, enabling us to produce some fresh food year around. In addition to providing fresh produce, the Farm provides learning opportunities for children, youth and adults interested in sustainable, urban agriculture.
Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors - Distribution Site
We are a distribution site for NAPS boxes. This is a federal program for people over the age of 60 who live at 130% of the poverty rate or below. We currently distribute boxes to over 100 seniors.
Bemidji Community Food Shelf/SuperShelf
The Food Shelf serves 3000 area food insecure families who made over 11,000 visits in 2019 and received nearly one million pounds of food.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Feeding America
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Hunger Solutions 2021
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We are currently exploring the feasibility of a mobile food shelf to provide service to outlying communities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are working with a local organization to do a feasibility plan and will be forming a committee to look at mobile food shelf best practices. We have applied for and received a grant for the purchase of a dedicated trailer.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have outside assistance from a partner organization, and funds for the trailer purchase. We are seeking to secure resources for a dedicated staff person for the mobile food shelf.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have secured funds for a trailer, gotten some bids, formed an assessment committee and are compiling survey results. Next, we will form a committee to look into best practices. Assuming the assessment committee recommends moving forward, we will purchase a custom trailer.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
BEMIDJI COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF
Board of directorsas of 04/27/2022
James Fretheim
Gloria Collyard
BCFS Secretary
Natalie Rader
Affinity Plus, BCFS Treasurer
Wayne Haugen
BCFS Vice President
Randall Burg
Director
Linda Jackson
Director
Deborah Pfaff
BCFS Treasurer
Larry Voltz
Director
Susan Ninham
Director
Danyl Peterson
Director
Linda Schutter
Director
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/27/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.