Minnesota’s annual Give to the Max Day is Thursday, and the Becker County Food Shelf is already celebrating early success — while continuing to push toward an even bigger goal.
Alyssa Moore with the food shelf says Give to the Max Day, held each November, has grown into the state’s largest online giving event. Donations are made through GiveMN.org, where contributors can give using a credit card, debit card, and even Apple Pay.
“Give to the Max Day has been going on for quite a few years now, and it’s our state’s biggest day of giving,” Moore said. “We participate every year. It doesn’t cost us anything to take part, and early giving began on November 1st.”
Thanks to that early giving period, the food shelf has already surpassed its initial goal of raising $12,600 — enough to purchase a semi-load of food.
“We actually reached that goal already, even though Give to the Max Day is tomorrow,” Moore said. “So we’ve got one semi-load funded — now we’re working on the next one.”
The need remains significant. The food shelf often spends up to $20,000 a month purchasing food. While partnerships with a regional food bank help stretch each dollar, supplies are limited, and they must also buy from local grocers.
“Every dollar counts,” Moore emphasized. “We really appreciate the support on Give to the Max Day.”
Give to the Max officially begins Thursday at 12:01 a.m., and even small donations can lead to big bonuses. Throughout the day, GiveMN adds prize drawings: $500 every 15 minutes and $1,000 every hour, which can be added to any donation.
“All it takes is a $5 gift,” Moore said. “And if you’re awake at 3 a.m., that’s a great time to donate because there usually aren’t many in that pot. If you’re able to give ten different $5 donations, that’s ten different chances for us to win those prizes.”
Moore noted that many local nonprofits will benefit from tomorrow’s statewide giving event.
“It’s a fun celebration of nonprofits,” she said. “We’re really grateful for all the support.”
More information is available at GiveMN.org or on the Becker County Food Shelf’s Facebook page.