By Julie Siple, Minnesota Public Radio News

ST. PAUL — Families across the state will sit down today for a Thanksgiving meal — turkey, mashed potatoes, maybe some cranberries or pumpkin pie.

But for some Minnesotans, putting that food on the table is a challenge. Communities and hunger relief organizations have been working for weeks to make sure everyone gets a meal, but higher food prices are making it harder.

That’s why, three weeks before the holiday, volunteers for Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels camped out in Bill Foussard’s living room in St. Paul. Armed with multiple phones — Foussard adds seven lines in his home each November — they took calls from hundreds of people who need food on Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day, each of those callers will receive a home-delivered meal.

Last year, volunteers delivered 15,000 meals. This year, they’re prepared to deliver 17,000, given what they’ve heard from callers about tough times.

“You know, it’s just people out of work, and things are so much more expensive,” Foussard said. “People are struggling more than ever right now.”

 

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