BY HANNAH BROADBENT | Lake Voice News On 2nd Street and 1st Avenue West in Duluth, there is a place that is the lifeline of the Duluth community. These locations provide food, hygiene products and even a place to sleep.
This place, this anchorage, is Church United Ministry (CHUM). They also have a secondary location in West Duluth.
The two locations provide 20,000 pounds of food per month. They feed 500 families, which is approximately 1,500 to 1,600 individuals every month. In 2014, they gave out 252,000 pounds of food.
CHUM is a faith-based, non-profit human services agency. The organization began in 1973, when ten congregations came together to pool their resources for low-income families in Duluth. Forty-two years later, CHUM is now officially sponsored by 39 congregations according to their website.
The number of people that utilize CHUM have created an epicenter for community engagement.
“It’s not just faith-based,” said Meg Kearns, the Distributive Services Director & CHUM Church Coordinator. “A lot of businesses support us, a lot of individuals, a lot of schools and I know the students at UMD have supported us in a variety of ways.”
Kearns said just recently pre-pharmacy students at UMD went out into the neighborhood and collected 240 pounds of food.
“I’d also like to point out that sometimes students are short on resources themselves, if they are trying to pay tuition or trying to pay rent,” Kearns said. “So if they are really having a hard time making ends meet I like to get the word out that they certainly can give us call.”
The food shelf’s official title is Duluth Emergency Food Shelf, since it does not provide long-term care. Families can come in one time a month and receive five days of food.
At this time of year (towards the end of a semester) Kearns will get a lot of students calling in to ask if they can volunteer, because they need a last few hours of volunteer time. Kearns said while sometimes that is helpful, a whole semester of commitment to the food shelf is ideal.
Once in awhile students can help sort food at the shelf. Kearns also has people on call for when they have huge loads of food come in and need help taking it in.
“If you don’t mind heavy lifting, you can help with that,” Kearns said.
“We have people that have been volunteering for years, but I always like the dynamic because there will be older people, younger people and clients.” Kearns said. “ It kind of shifts and everyday is a little different, we’re our own little community here.”
Kearns remembers instances where fraternities have made food, and brought it in to serve it at the shelter across the street from the food shelf on 1st Avenue West.
Places that worked with CHUM before are UMD health classes, that have brought in hygiene products, UMD honors program and presently, the UMD early childhood program is co-sponsoring the “Give from the Heart” event at the Steve O’Neil Apartments on Fourth Street.
Last week, the UMD Women’s Hockey team put on “Cram the Am” in which admission was free with a perishable food item, all food was collected and given to CHUM.
When students commit to volunteering they go through a quick training program and are regularly scheduled. Each volunteer would usually meet with each client one-on-one and make sure they qualify. After, the volunteer would explain what is available to the shelf and help them retrieve their food/products.
“It’s a lot of interaction and human dynamics,” Kearns said. “Students get a sense of reality that is different from theirs.”
To get involved or go to CHUM call 218-727-2391, or go to the main office at 102 W 2nd St, Duluth, MN. The hours at the food shelf are Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. and Wednesday again from 3:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Also visit their website here.