Who We Are
Outreach Food Shelf is a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit serving Douglas County, Minnesota. Each year we distribute over 765,000 pounds of food, or enough food for 662,000 meals, which feed approximately 1,300 of our neighbors in need. Our distribution includes direct service at our food shelf and through our mobile pantry.
We are committed to providing nutritious food to our neighbors in need, supporting their healthy lives and our healthy communities.
We follow HIPAA compliance and do not share information including mobile phone numbers with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Any information provided when opting in to receive text messages, including consent, will remain private and will not be shared with any third party.
In Douglas County 8.5% of our community lives in poverty.
Outreach Food Shelf is a member of Feeding America™, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
1 in 12 neighbors
are impacted by hunger
1 in 11 children
are impacted by hunger
What We Do
Outreach Food Shelf provides food across Douglas County Minnesota to neighbors struggling with hunger.
Every day, hundreds of people across Douglas County Minnesota struggle to put food on the table. Record-high inflation, supply chain disruptions, a lack of affordable housing…these factors impact each of us every day, but have an even greater detrimental effect on our neighbors struggling to make ends meet. This leaves them facing impossible choices that nobody should have to make.
Our focus is providing nutritious food to feed families, children, and seniors. These meals allow children to succeed in school. They allow adults to focus on their jobs instead of how they are going to put food on the table. They allow seniors to experience better health and quality of life without having to make difficult decisions on whether to pay for medical prescriptions or food.
Together we can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors, family, and friends that struggle with hunger.
Working Together
Ending hunger means working together every day to make sure all our neighbors, whether in the most remote rural area or the more populated towns, have access to food when they need it.
How We Do It
Outreach Food Shelf rescues food locally from retailers and growers. Much of this nutritious food passes through our food shelf before being distributed to the hungry and our hunger partners.
Distribution includes our network of non-profit hunger partners (food pantries, and other nonprofits).
Our work is made possible by the generosity, compassion and commitment of our many partners. Check out our Partners & Affiliations page to read more about them. Outreach Food Shelf continues its commitment to making a difference in the lives of the hundreds of children, seniors, and families who struggle with hunger. We believe in a hunger-free community.
Leadership & Board
Outreach Food Shelf’s leadership team and board of directors have the commitment, dedication and passion to our mission of ending hunger across Douglas County Minnesota.
Bernice Wimmer
Executive Director – Bernice has been with Outreach Food Shelf since 2021. Helping people has been her life’s goal.
Our Board of Directors
Chair – Stu MacKechney*
Vice-Chair – Vicki Bump
Secretary – Jim Roell
Treasurer – Ed Desautels*
Director – Margaret Lempka
Director – Mary Anderson
*Denotes Members of Personnel/Finance Committee
Outreach Food Shelf 