As families gather to take a bite out of their Thanksgiving turkey, a Twin Cities-wide coalition hopes it will help do the same to fight hunger.

Made up of hunger relief agencies around the metro area, the Twin Cities Hunger Initiative has a goal of ending hunger in the Twin Cities by 2013.

The coalition has organized an upcoming effort with a food drive Nov. 22-27, a phone-a-thon Nov. 22-Nov. 26, leading up to the Walk to End Hunger Thanksgiving Day at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

One of the 10 agencies participating is South St. Paul-based Neighbors Inc., which provides a food shelf, clothes closet and other services to northern Dakota County.

Development Director Dan Russell said Neighbors, along with the other agencies, is working to draw volunteers and walkers for the event.

Each organization has picked its specialty, Russell said. "It's really been a collaborative effort," he said.

The goal of the efforts, he said, is to raise awareness and funds about hunger in the nine-county metro community.

One in 10 people in the area doesn't know where his or her next meal is coming from, Russell said. "We feel that is a very significant issue," he said.

Demand has increased for the Hunger Initiative agencies, which estimate that they are serving 14 percent more people through food shelves than last year.

Neighbors is serving twice as many people as it did four years ago, Russell said.

With recent economic issues, the agency is also seeing small families of two or three members for the first time, he said. "These are working people who are having a rough time," he said.

Those same issues also affect the number of donations food shelves receive, he said. "This is a trend that is continuing," he said.

With the Walk to End Hunger, the coalition is concerned not only with the present, but looking forward, Russell said. "We're really taking a long-term perspective," he said.

The event hopes to encourage businesses and other groups to host more food drives, Russell said, as well as help agencies diversify the resources after continuing to approach the same groups who have given so generously over the years.

The Walk to End Hunger also ties with Thanksgiving by providing a meaningful, family-friendly way for people to get involved, Russell said,

It's a way for families to give thanks before giving thanks, he said. "We're hoping that families look at this as an opportunity to build family traditions," he said.

Clare Brumback is executive director of Hope for the City, a Minnetonka-based organization that offers a food bank, non-food resources and provides corporate surplus to partnering agencies that serve the hungry and homeless.

The Walk to End Hunger is one of the largest collaborative efforts by the hunger community that Brumback said she can remember. "What's exciting is that it's a major initiative for community awareness," she said. "I think there's strength in numbers."

The Walk to End Hunger is an opportunity to not only raise money, but also awareness of the real issues of hunger in the Twin Cities, Brumback said. "That's a huge plus with a large-scale event like this," she said.

Brumback said Hope for the City is looking forward to being a part of the event. "We're excited to be part of so many talented agencies that are dedicated to this cause," she said.

Erica Dao, with Bloomington's Mall of America public relations, said the event provides a way for the mall to give back to the community on Thanksgiving.

People can drop off food items for the food drive, Dao said, or make a donation through the phone-a-thon if they can't make it into the Mall of America.

The Walk to End Hunger is an open walk, Dao said, giving participants an option to come and walk when they can. "We know people are getting ready for the day with their own families," she said.

With hunger being an important issue, Dao said they want to give families an option to give back in some way. "We hope that Walk to End Hunger becomes an annual event and they reach their goal of ending hunger by 2013," she said.

People can go once around one level or three times around all levels during the walk, Russell said. He said some participants are planning to walk with their families, faith group or as individuals.

The event will help show there is a collaborative effort to address and beat the hunger issue, he said.

Russell said they hope other organizations that deal with the same issues will also join the effort in the future. "It's an event that has an opportunity to grow," he said. "I think it's a great opportunity to build community."

Comment on this story at our website, www.mnsun.com.

- Food Drive, Saturday, Nov. 22, to Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Mall of America. The north entrance of Nickelodeon Universe will serve as the collection site for non-perishable food items, which will be distributed to local food shelves by the Emergency Foodshelf Network.

- Phone-A-Thon, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, to Wednesday, Nov. 26. Call 612-807-2228, where volunteers will take phone donations, with all proceeds distributed to the participating Hunger Initiative partners.

- Walk to End Hunger, 7-11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27. Open registration is 7-9 a.m., walk is 7:30-11 a.m., program and entertainment 9-10 a.m.

For more information and to register, visit www.walktoendhunger.org.

Twin Cities Hunger Initiativeagencies participating in the Walk to End Hunger include Hope for the City (Minnetonka), Emergency Food Shelf Network (New Hope), Catholic Charities (Minneapolis), Hunger Solutions (St. Paul), Keystone Community Services (St. Paul), Loaves and Fishes (Minneapolis), Neighborhood House (St. Paul), Neighbors Inc. (South St. Paul) and Second Harvest Heartland (St. Paul).

Donations for hunger

- With a $500 gift, a food bank can provide 500 pounds of rescued fresh produce.

- With a $250 gift, a food shelf can feed 10 families of four for two days.

- A $100 gift provides lunch for a month for three children in the summer.

- With a $50 gift, a meal program can provide five nutritious meals for a family of four.

- With a $50 gift, a food bank can provide 50 pounds of rescued fresh produce.

- A $35 gift provides a senior more than a week of meals or provides lunch for a month for a child in the summer.

- With a $25 gift, a food shelf can feed a family of four for two days.

- With a $10 gift, a meal program can provide one nutritious meal for a family of four.

- A $5 gift provides a senior more than a day of meals.

Note: Examples based on averages.

Is hunger really a problem in the Twin Cities?

Many myths exist about hungry people in the Twin Cities.

Myth one:Hunger is not chronic in the Twin Cities.

Fact one:Approximately 200,000 people are hungry in the Twin Cities on an annual basis due to inadequate financial resources.

There were nearly 1 million visits to food shelves and access to more than 1 million meals served in 2007.

In 2008 alone, food shelf use has increased by 14 percent in the Twin Cities, a growth three times as high in comparison to statewide.

For the past six years, food shelf use increased up to 250 percent in the suburbs of the Twin Cities.

Myth two:Families that use food shelves more commonly are really poor, homeless or are single mothers with children.

Fact two:More than half (55 percent) of families relying on food shelves are working but can't make ends meet.

Is it possible to end hunger?

- Minnesota has a very generous donor community from the corporate sector, faith-based communities and individuals.

- Minnesota is an agricultural state and headquarters four major food corporations in the Twin Cities that currently donate food to food banks.

- Poverty is a complex issue, while hunger can be solved. "A person in poverty has multiple problems. A person that is hungry has one problem," said Jane Brown, former executive director of Second Harvest Heartland.

- Similar initiatives producing a measurable impact are taking place in Florida, Oregon, Washington D.C., Rhode Island and Connecticut.

All information provided by the Twin Cities Hunger Initiative.

With the Walk to End Hunger, the coalition is concerned not only with the present, but looking forward, Russell said. "We're really taking a long-term perspective," he said.

The event hopes to encourage businesses and other groups to host more food drives, Russell said, as well as help agencies diversify the resources after continuing to approach the same groups who have given so generously over the years.

The Walk to End Hunger also ties with Thanksgiving by providing a meaningful, family-friendly way for people to get involved, Russell said,

It's a way for families to give thanks before giving thanks, he said. "We're hoping that families look at this as an opportunity to build family traditions," he said.

Clare Brumback is executive director of Hope for the City, a Minnetonka-based organization that offers a food bank, non-food resources and provides corporate surplus to partnering agencies that serve the hungry and homeless.

The Walk to End Hunger is one of the largest collaborative efforts by the hunger community that Brumback said she can remember. "What's exciting is that it's a major initiative for community awareness," she said. "I think there's strength in numbers."

The Walk to End Hunger is an opportunity to not only raise money, but also awareness of the real issues of hunger in the Twin Cities, Brumback said. "That's a huge plus with a large-scale event like this," she said.

Brumback said Hope for the City is looking forward to being a part of the event. "We're excited to be part of so many talented agencies that are dedicated to this cause," she said.

Erica Dao, with Bloomington's Mall of America public relations, said the event provides a way for the mall to give back to the community on Thanksgiving.

People can drop off food items for the food drive, Dao said, or make a donation through the phone-a-thon if they can't make it into the Mall of America.

The Walk to End Hunger is an open walk, Dao said, giving participants an option to come and walk when they can. "We know people are getting ready for the day with their own families," she said.

With hunger being an important issue, Dao said they want to give families an option to give back in some way. "We hope that Walk to End Hunger becomes an annual event and they reach their goal of ending hunger by 2013," she said.

People can go once around one level or three times around all levels during the walk, Russell said. He said some participants are planning to walk with their families, faith group or as individuals.

The event will help show there is a collaborative effort to address and beat the hunger issue, he said.

Russell said they hope other organizations that deal with the same issues will also join the effort in the future. "It's an event that has an opportunity to grow," he said. "I think it's a great opportunity to build community."

Comment on this story at our website, www.mnsun.com.

- Food Drive, Saturday, Nov. 22, to Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Mall of America. The north entrance of Nickelodeon Universe will serve as the collection site for non-perishable food items, which will be distributed to local food shelves by the Emergency Foodshelf Network.

- Phone-A-Thon, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, to Wednesday, Nov. 26. Call 612-807-2228, where volunteers will take phone donations, with all proceeds distributed to the participating Hunger Initiative partners.

- Walk to End Hunger, 7-11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27. Open registration is 7-9 a.m., walk is 7:30-11 a.m., program and entertainment 9-10 a.m.

For more information and to register, visit www.walktoendhunger.org.

Twin Cities Hunger Initiativeagencies participating in the Walk to End Hunger include Hope for the City (Minnetonka), Emergency Food Shelf Network (New Hope), Catholic Charities (Minneapolis), Hunger Solutions (St. Paul), Keystone Community Services (St. Paul), Loaves and Fishes (Minneapolis), Neighborhood House (St. Paul), Neighbors Inc. (South St. Paul) and Second Harvest Heartland (St. Paul).

Donations for hunger

- With a $500 gift, a food bank can provide 500 pounds of rescued fresh produce.

- With a $250 gift, a food shelf can feed 10 families of four for two days.

- A $100 gift provides lunch for a month for three children in the summer.

- With a $50 gift, a meal program can provide five nutritious meals for a family of four.

- With a $50 gift, a food bank can provide 50 pounds of rescued fresh produce.

- A $35 gift provides a senior more than a week of meals or provides lunch for a month for a child in the summer.

- With a $25 gift, a food shelf can feed a family of four for two days.

- With a $10 gift, a meal program can provide one nutritious meal for a family of four.

- A $5 gift provides a senior more than a day of meals.

Note: Examples based on averages.

Is hunger really a problem in the Twin Cities?

Many myths exist about hungry people in the Twin Cities.

Myth one:Hunger is not chronic in the Twin Cities.

Fact one:Approximately 200,000 people are hungry in the Twin Cities on an annual basis due to inadequate financial resources.

There were nearly 1 million visits to food shelves and access to more than 1 million meals served in 2007.

In 2008 alone, food shelf use has increased by 14 percent in the Twin Cities, a growth three times as high in comparison to statewide.

For the past six years, food shelf use increased up to 250 percent in the suburbs of the Twin Cities.

Myth two:Families that use food shelves more commonly are really poor, homeless or are single mothers with children.

Fact two:More than half (55 percent) of families relying on food shelves are working but can't make ends meet.

Is it possible to end hunger?

- Minnesota has a very generous donor community from the corporate sector, faith-based communities and individuals.

- Minnesota is an agricultural state and headquarters four major food corporations in the Twin Cities that currently donate food to food banks.

- Poverty is a complex issue, while hunger can be solved. "A person in poverty has multiple problems. A person that is hungry has one problem," said Jane Brown, former executive director of Second Harvest Heartland.

- Similar initiatives producing a measurable impact are taking place in Florida, Oregon, Washington D.C., Rhode Island and Connecticut.

All information provided by the Twin Cities Hunger Initiative.