Helping Duluth Families Find the Food Support They Need

DULUTH CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The Duluth Center for Women and Children (DCWC), a community-based organization dedicated to interrupting cycles of trauma and poverty for families in low-income areas of Duluth, created two resources to help residents find food assistance that meet their individual needs. 

Having enough nutritious food is essential for good health, but many Minnesota families struggle to afford the food they need. In Minnesota, one in five households cannot afford enough food and limited access to nutritious food can make it harder to prevent and manage chronic conditions like diabetes. 

In Duluth’s Lincoln Park, Central Hillside, and other lower-income neighborhoods, residents face additional challenges, including the cost of housing, transportation, and access to healthy foods. 

Designing a screening around real-life needs 

Food insecurity affects people in different ways. Some families struggle to afford groceries, while others may have difficulty getting to a grocery store, finding time to prepare meals, or accessing foods that meet their needs and preferences. 

DCWC’s approach grew from its Nourish program, which helps families access nutritious, affordable, partially prepared meals, and supports families in developing cooking skills. The program was shaped by the experiences of women raising children on their own, whose feedback continues to guide DCWC’s work.

Building on what they learned, DCWC partnered with the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) to develop a Nutrition Security Screening. The screening included a survey based on six aspects of food security, including not only the cost and availability of food, but also whether people can get to grocery stores, find foods that fit their cultural preferences, and have the time, equipment, or skills to prepare meals. This helped them develop questions that go beyond whether someone has enough food to better understand the challenges they face. 

DCWC also created a directory of 23 local food assistance programs and services. They organized these resources around the same areas of food security used to develop the survey. 

Together, these two resources help people find support that fits their circumstances. Residents complete a free short online survey to identify their top two food related needs and receive information about local programs and services that may help. The process can be completed individually online or in-person with assistance and takes less than 15 minutes. 

Building partnerships to reach more residents 

DCWC worked with UMD and local organizations to introduce the screening and connect residents with food assistance. Through its partnership with UMD's University Honors and their Food Justice Cohort, students received training to become food resource navigators who could help residents identify their needs and find available services. This approach also supported community organizations that wanted to address food insecurity but lacked the staff or capacity to do the work independently. DCWC explored partnerships with 20 organizations, established formal partnerships with four, and trained a total of 11 navigators.

Following the online launch of their Nutrition Security Screening, DCWC reported 762 visits to its resource pages and 21 completed surveys. These early results provide a starting point for understanding how residents are using the screening and where additional outreach may be needed.

Sharing what they’ve learned 

DCWC learned that trusted community relationships are essential to helping residents connect with food assistance. While some traditional social service providers faced challenges adopting a new screening process, community-based organizations offered flexibility and established relationships with the people they serve. 

DCWC also found that the screening and resource directory may be especially helpful for people who are new to the community or transitioning into more stable housing. Navigators reported that these residents gained a greater awareness of available food resources, compared with long-time residents who were often already familiar with local services. 

DCWC plans to continue working with community partners, training navigators, and updating its food resource directory as local services change. The organization is also developing an implementation toolkit to help other communities adopt its approach. 

DCWC’s experience offers an important lesson: Improving access to nutritious food involves more than making resources available. It also means listening to families, understanding the barriers they face, and helping them connect with services that work for them. 

If you are interested in learning about DCWC’s implementation toolkit, please email: contact@duluthcenterforwomenandchildren.org.

Minnesota 2035 Plan in Action

Key components of these efforts align with outcomes of Minnesota's Action Plan to Address Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes 2035:

• Outcome 3: Share Power to effect change
  • DCWC incorporated feedback from community members into the design and implementation of its screening. 
• Outcome 7: Expand shared learning and education to build knowledge, skills, and health
  • DCWC developed resources and trained navigators to help connect residents with food assistance.   
• Outcome 8: Support the implementation of community-led programs and solutions in community
  • DCWC partnered with community organizations to introduce the screening and make the approach available to other communities. 

Contributors to this project recognize that communities have unique insight and provide valuable knowledge. They co-designed educational materials, keeping culture, language, and health literacy in mind. This not only helps increase understanding about reducing chronic disease risks, improving self-management, and responding to warning signs of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes-related problems, but also creates more sustainable systems and structures that provide services and/or programs in ways that are responsive to community needs in familiar, trusted settings.

There is room for every Minnesotan to help implement the MN 2035 Plan, from communities across the state, to health care professionals, to business leaders, and even to those with just an interest in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. For more information, visit Minnesota's Action Plan to Address Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes 2035 or email health.MN2035Plan@state.mn.us.