The Emergency Foodshelf Network (EFN), founded in 1976, has grown from a network of 12 foodshelves in Hennepin County to a full service foodbank with 238 member hunger relief programs across the state of Minnesota. Over its 34 year history EFN has expanded its services and programs to meet the growing and changing need for emergency food. Throughout this targeted expansion EFN’s programs have always supported the immediate and long-term needs of our members and their clients – providing emergency food and building infrastructure and program delivery to ensure members are able to provide services into the future.
In 1996 EFN expanded the original Bulk Purchasing and Foodshelf Support programs to offer an increased amount of nutritious and culturally appropriate foods in inventory and established a broader focus on fighting the multiple causes of hunger and multiple needs of hunger relief programs. In 2001 EFN launched our first supplemental nutrition programs – Mobile Foodshelf and Fare For All – and began expanding the support services offered to foodshelves to include client management software, free delivery, and increased outreach and advocacy. By 2007 EFN’s family of programs included a Culturally Specific Mobile Foodshelf, Fare For All Express, and nutrition education programs. These programs fill the significant need not met by a once a month package of emergency food and represent a holistic approach to hunger relief.
EFN is a leader in working directly with community organizations to offer targeted emergency and supplemental food that is nutritious, high quality, and culturally specific. Our members - foodshelves, on site meal programs, and reduced cost grocery distribution sites - received more than $11 million in benefits and 8 million pounds of food in 2009.