Lester Park Elementary food drive donates 1.7 tons to Union Gospel Mission

Lester Park Elementary students and families delivered 3,400 pounds of healthy, non-perishable food to Union Gospel Mission in Duluth, a 1.7-ton contribution that lands in a county where demand for basic food support remains high and the safety net is tightening.

The haul came from the school’s 19th annual food drive, which was tied to National Nutrition Month. Third-grade teacher Mary Davidson coordinated the effort, using the drive to connect lessons about nutrition and waste to a real need in Duluth. Students saw how much food can be diverted from cafeteria waste and redirected to families who do not have the same easy access to meals.

For the mission, the donation arrives at a critical moment. Jana Picotte, a development coordinator with Union Gospel Mission, said food insecurity is rising as grocery prices keep climbing and some support programs are closing. She pointed to the abrupt shutdown of Ruby’s Pantry on April 1, a closure that ended more than 80 food shelf and distribution sites across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. That network had served more than 300,000 families a year, and its loss adds pressure to families already juggling rising costs and shrinking options.

The need is visible at the mission itself. Union Gospel Mission says it distributes more than 7,000 nutritious meals each month from its downtown Duluth location at 219 E. First Street. Guests can get weekday cereal service, lunch and dinner, and the mission says it serves people without asking questions or limiting servings. The organization is also in a five-year relocation plan, with a new site expected to open in 2027, a sign that the pressure on local shelter and meal services is not easing.

Picotte said donations can come in many forms, including one can, one dollar or one minute of time, and all of it adds up when families are stretched. The Lester Park drive showed that point in practical terms. The school’s 2026 total surpassed the more than 3,000 pounds and $2,000 collected in a 2021 drive, underscoring how a single elementary school has become a steady source of food support for Duluth’s downtown mission.

In St. Louis County, where food prices and housing strain continue to squeeze low-income households, that 1.7 tons is more than a school project. It is a reminder that local hunger relief depends on small institutions stepping up again and again to fill gaps that larger systems have not closed.