Hy-Vee helps kick off Pathways 2024 donations
Community Pathways director Dom Korbel, left, accepts 1,500 in canned goods donated by Owatonna Hy-Vee from store manager Justin Lewer and assistant manager Ryan Brewer. Hy-Vee recently asked customers to match its donation of 1,200 cans of vegetables. Staff photo by Joni Hubred
The sun shone bright Monday as more than 1,500 pounds of canned vegetables rolled into Community Pathways of Steele County.
Owatonna Hy-Vee last week challenged customers to match its 1,200-can donation, with the store-brand items on sale. Community Pathways director Dom Korbel said though this is typically a quiet time for donations, Hy-Vee is one of several groups that have reached out.
“None of them have been massive but collectively, they are,” he said. “It’s another example of the kind of community support we get and how lucky we are.”
Korbel helped Hy-Vee store manager Justin Lewer and assistant manager Ryan Brewer unload cases and bags of items headed for the Marketplace, where shoppers pick up everything from milk and canned goods to fresh greens and fruits.
Food donations in 2023 exceeded 2022’s total by 150,000 pounds, Korbel said. Community Pathways distributed about 35,000 pounds each week.
Unique Finds, the organization’s thrift store, is also seeing an uptick, with the community answering a call for winter clothing. Federated Insurance last week dropped off 300 winter coats, along with blankets, hats, and gloves. Donations came through a company-wide MLK Day of Service drive organized by Director of Diversity and Inclusion Carlos Smith.
“We distributed all of them last week,” Korbel said.
Community Pathways is already working on its annual Hometown Sampler, held the first weekend in March, which is Minnesota FoodShare Month.
While that’s a big month for the food shelf, Korbel said, “we need food all year round.”