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According to a recent lawsuit, Minnesota’s Department of Education (MDE) unfairly allowed Feeding Our Future applications to “languish” during the pandemic.
Feeding Our Future is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income and minority communities in Minnesota access food programs. In fact, the organization is reportedly one of Minnesota’s largest independent sponsors of federal food programs.
As part of its work, Feeding Our Future reportedly has more than 50 applications pending with the Minnesota Department of Education to use millions of dollars in federal funding to feed Minnesota’s communities. However, the Minnesota Education Department has allegedly violated federal regulations by allowing these applications to languish for over 60 days.
“Feeding Our Future brings this action to compel MDE to comply with the federal law and process its applications so it can help feed low-income and minority children that have been disproportionately impacted by a global pandemic and widespread social unrest,” the Feeding Our Future lawsuit notes.
This year has been difficult for everyone, but especially minority Minnesotans.
According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), minority groups are at an increased risk of getting COVID-19 and even dying from the virus. Discrimination, healthcare access, occupations, housing and gaps in education, income and wealth all contribute to this systematic inequality, according to the CDC.
To make matters worse, people of color around the country — and especially in Minnesota — have been rocked by social unrest. In late May, a Black man named George Floyd from Minnesota was killed by Minneapolis police officers. This sparked widespread protests against the ongoing issue of police brutality and systematic racism.
Between COVID-19 and the social unrest, the communities served by Feeding Our Future were reportedly hit hard — forcing schools, restaurants, childcare providers and even religious organizations to close their doors. This reportedly turned the existing “nutrition gap” into an “urban food desert.”
Despite this established need for federal food programs, Minnesota’s Department of Education has allegedly failed to take prompt action on Feeding Our Future’s applications. Instead of processing the more than 50 applications within the federal required time period of 30 days, the state has reportedly allowed the applications to “languish in just the first step of the application process for over 60 days and counting.”
The Minnesota Department of Education is reportedly responsible for administering two USDA-funded food programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). These programs work in tandem to help low-income children secure free, nutritious meals during all parts of the year. Whereas CACFP provides meals to children after school, SFSP provides these meals during periods such as summer break when school isn’t in session.
Feeding Our Future reportedly works with these programs as an independent sponsor.
To help support these programs and implement them in Minnesota, independent sponsors file applications to become approved sponsors. Once approved, these organizations can enter into a contract with the state to run the CACFP and SFSP programs in compliance with federal guidelines.
“The sponsors work with low-income communities to identify sites where children can receive free meals in a safe and supervised environment such as schools, parks, community centers, clinics, apartment complexes, or other community gathering places,” Feeding Our Future explains in their lawsuit.
However, because the Minnesota Department of Education has allowed the organization’s applications to halt in the approval process, Feeding Our Future has allegedly been unable to provide these vital services to the state’s at-need communities.
Despite the well-established need, the Minnesota Department of Education has allegedly “refused” to allow Feeding Our Future to open new distribution sites. Each of these distribution centers would reportedly provide “tens-of-thousands of meals to hundreds of needy children who continue to go without healthy and nutritious meals during a global pandemic.”
Since Sept. 8, the organization has reportedly filed 51 applications to open these centers in low-income and minority communities. However, “without explanation,” the state has allegedly refused to process 10 of the applications and has refused to take the first step on the other 41.
Feeding Our Future argues that these actions violate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations that limit the application review process to 30 days. The organization also notes the state’s actions are in violation of a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling in a similar case.
Based on these regulations, Feeding Our Future asks the Minnesota federal court to comply with USDA deadlines and respond to applications in a timely fashion.
What are your thoughts on the Feeding Our Future lawsuit allegations? Let us know in the comment section below.
Feeding Our Future is represented by Ll. Rhyddid Watkins of Martin Hild PA.
The Feeding Our Future Lawsuit is Feeding Our Future v. Minnesota Department of Education, Case No. 0:20-cv-02312-ECT-ECW, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
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2 thoughts onMinnesota Allowed Feeding Our Future Applications to ‘Languish’ During Pandemic, Lawsuit Alleges
How do I sign up for the lawsuit been waiting for over a year. Never received last paymemt
MDE has been treating low income families during the pandemic and the civil unrest. Commissioner Ricker knows the gap and the need of the low income households. She chose to look the other way. It’s about time Gov. Walz did something about it if he were to seek a re-election.