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Free Summer Meals for Kids in Minnesota 2022

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Hunger Solutions map

On June 30th, 2022, the COVID government assistance for all U.S. schools to offer free school meals for all kids expired. This means that most schools will now go back to how they were before COVID, and families in need will need to apply for free school meals for their children as before.

In the meantime, during the summer, many kids are without the breakfasts and lunches they got at school.

Here are some ways to find free summer meal programs in the Twin Cities.

Free Meals for Kids app – This app for Minnesota is powered by GPS to help you find free and nutritious meals for kids near you. You can download it for free in the Google Play Store.

Hunger Solutions has the best resource for finding free kids meals in Minnesota. They have an interactive map showing both schools and restaurants offering free meals. (Meals are available to all kids.)

Every Meal is launching a free summer meal program on July 29, 2022. Anyone can pick up a free shelf-stable bag of food at community locations. It will be available from July 29, 2022 – September 5, 2022

USDA Mapping Tool – Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session.

Minneapolis Public Schools is distributing free food to all kids age 18 and under. Kids don’t have to be in the Minneapolis school district!

St. Paul Public Schools also has a Free Summer Meals Program.

Minneapolis and St. Paul also have food busses that offer free food at various locations including libraries. Note that meals typically need to be consumed onsite.

Check with your local school district for free meal options.

Also see my list of 5 Reasons to Pick Up the Free Food from your Child’s School District.

free school food

Need additional help for your family? NO one should be hungry – here are more resources:

Coronavirus Relief Minnesota

I post updates and other resources on my Facebook page and in my Minnesota Money-Saving Moms group. Follow me on social media for the latest.

Minnesota Money-Saving Moms

Dairy Farms Close in Minnesota After One of the Worst Winters on Record

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Dairy farms are a Minnesota staple; with ample farmland and hearty cattle, it’s estimated that fewer than 5% of dairy farms will close up shop in a typical year. Countless Minnesota families enjoy the luxury of fresh ice cream, frozen yogurt, and delectable cheeses throughout the year.

This past winter seeks to change this trend as a never-before-seen amount of snow was dumped on farms across the state.

The massive amounts of snow accumulated throughout February were enough to collapse more than 25 barns in the early days of March. Even with the twice annual gutter cleaning needed to keep your roof in good working condition, no roof was prepared for a winter of this size.

Instead of buckling down for the winter, some farmers threw in the towel and sold their stock within the first 12 hours, something most dairy farmers don’t do until retirement.

And dairy farmers have already been struggling to make it into retirement under an already struggling industry. It’s estimated that nearly 20% of seniors of retiring age will continue to work in America due to financial difficulties and other setbacks.

Of course, Minnesotans are used to winter storms, blustering winds, and anything else old man winter has to throw at them. It isn’t uncommon to see children walking down the street in bundles of clothes reminiscent of Ralphie’s younger brother in A Christmas Story. But in many parts of Minnesota haven’t seen devastation like this for more than 20 years.

In February alone, the Twin Cities experienced more than 39 inches of snow, making it one of the snowiest months on record.

Snowy conditions alone can cause cows to stop producing milk, let alone collapsed roofs and barnyard destruction. In some particularly harrowing cases, some cows may cease to eat under stress. This can cause illnesses to occur or even death in some herds.

But it isn’t just the cattle the farmers are worried about. Some farms have had to dump their milk down the drains in the wake of innavigable roads. Snow obstruction, felled trees, and accidents caused many shipment delays, resulting in countless gallons of milk to go to waste. Not even the 72% of diesel-powered trucks in the United States could make it past the mountains of snow. According to some reports, only 10% of the state’s milk actually made it to processing plants.

No farm management service is one-size-fits all, and every farm needs different care and maintenance. The overwhelming winter weather forced some struggling dairy farms to collapse under the pressure, both physically and financially. For many, this was the final straw in a struggling industry.

That means that countless families in the Twin Cities may have to cope with a dairy shortage in the coming months. The dairy industry has already witnessed a nation-wide decline in the last few years. This has been worsened by the ongoing trade war between the United States and its top two buyers, China and Mexico.

As the nation’s eighth-largest supplier of dairy, Minnesota is expected to recover. But after a hard winter, we may see more dairy farmers begin to prepare for retirement.

For now, Minnesotan families will have to rely on dairy substitutes like almond milk, soy milk, and gelato for a sweet treat.

40 Ways to Survive the Recession

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When the economy is in a recession and things like job security become uncertain, we need whatever control we can get over our lives. In order to survive the recession, we must think differently because we can’t control the job market, declining home values or increasing prices, but we can control how we spend money on certain things like food and household necessities.

This started as a list for myself, then I kept adding ideas inspired from what I’ve read and learned over the years. Most aren’t anything novel, but a good synopsis of other ideas shared on this website. I’d love to keep this list growing!

 40 ways to Survive the Recession:

1. Buy groceries, particularly staples, at ALDI. Also buy “loss leaders” (like meat on sale) advertised weekly at stores like Cub and Rainbow.

2. Purchase baby, personal hygiene and household needs at Walmart.

3. Prepare foods from scratch & using simple items whenever possible.

4. Be creative with food items on hand. For one meal idea, mix a can of tuna with heated pork & beans (surprisingly good and nutritious! I ate this while growing up). Or make stir-fried chicken & vegetables with teriyaki sauce, then pour over ramen noodles and add pineapple on the side. 

5. Use all food – be not wasteful. Clean out refrigerator regularly. Keep items close to their “perishing point” visible in the front (plus that way you’ll likely avoid discovering some putrid, foul-smelling unidentifiable masses in the back of your fridge like I have a few too many times). 

6. Drink water with lemon (instead of unnecessary beverages, except juice and milk which have valuable nutrients).

7. Regularly compare rates for insurance, cable, etc. For example, Comcast will repeatedly give customers promotional rates if you call. My Internet service promotional rate just expired, so I called and got my service upgraded to a higher speed at a 3-month promotional rate that equals what I’m paying now (so I basically got a free upgrade for 3 months). And there’s never a contract beyond the promotional time period. 

8. Buy clothes at thrift stores and garage sales. Thrift stores have coupons sometimes, and almost always will have a “discount” day, too, so check them out for even better savings. Using a coupon I got in my local coupon mailer, I just got a BAGFUL of about 15 like new, brand name items of clothing for myself and daughter for $10 at my local thrift store.

9. Pay cash for EVERYTHING. Avoid using credit cards – you never know what your finances will be like when that credit card bill comes in the mail. Plus, remember that credit is largely what got us into this recession in the first place.

10. Brown bag lunches. Bring food from home to get through the day.

11. Drink coffee made at home.

12. When in need of a household repair or babysitter, ask for help from friends and family whenever possible (and offer help as well). If you don’t have friends, make friends.

13. Transfer savings into a higher interest earning account.

14. Enjoy what you already have! Movies, books, music, etc. Right now I’m reading a wonderful book I had sitting on my shelf for years.

15. Borrow items from the library. Libraries in the Twin Cities have an EXCELLENT selection. Plus you can look up and reserve items on their websites.

16. Exercise at home and go for walks (instead of belonging to a gym).

17. Make gifts instead of buying them. Plan ahead.

18. In the winter, turn heat down, use fireplace/wood stove, insulate, and wear a sweater.

19. In the summer, use fans instead of air conditioner.

20. Clip coupons and use them whenever possible! Available in the Sunday newspaper, online, and in coupon mailers.

21. Pay bills electronically to save money on envelopes and postage.

22. Sell items online to make extra money (and more $$ than at a garage sale). Half.com is the most worthwhile for selling mass market items (books, CDs, DVDs).

23. Buy generic and store brand items (usually no comparison in quality).

24. Buy in bulk. If you have a willing friend with a warehouse membership, go shopping with them occasionally.

25. Take advantage of all the BARGAINS out there (one good thing that comes out of a recession). Just about every store out there has to be extra competitive right now. Shop around.

26. Be GRATEFUL for what you have.

27. Update resume, and keep it updated.

28. Be constantly learning and updating/improving marketable skills. Read materials from the library, be aware of what’s needed in the future of your field of employment.

29. Make a list before shopping and stick to it.

30. Buy used whenever possible. Toys, for example.

31. Bring your own filtered water with you instead of buying bottled water.

32. Take care of/maintain what you have. This applies to everything from your car to your appliances to your health.

33. Do it yourself. See if you can fix something yourself instead of right away calling someone or replacing it.

34. If you must eat out or see a movie, do so in the early afternoon instead of evening. Prices are cheaper then for both meals (lunch instead of dinner portions) and movie tickets (matinees).

35. Turn lights and appliances off when not in use.

36. Spend time with others who also try to save money and survive the recession. Keep each other motivated! Have a fun get-together making a meal from scratch and watching movies from the library.

37. Limit time in a store. The more time you spend there, the more you typically spend.

38. Cancel unnecessary memberships and magazine subscriptions.

39. Cancel unnecessary credit cards (only one is necessary – unless you have a whole bunch. Canceling a lot of credit cards at once is harmful to one’s credit rating. Stupid but true.)

40. “Save first, spend rest.” Even if you can only save a little bit, remember that every little bit helps!

Your ideas are welcome! To add your own suggestions, click on the title of this post above, or “Comments” or “No Comments” above, then you can scroll down and add your comment.

Tell us below how you’re helping your family survive the recession!