The city of Woodbury recently donated $10,000 to local food shelf Open Cupboard using a new source of funding: money from its Lawful Gambling Contribution Fund.
The city made the donation as the U.S. Department of Agriculture was planning to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the federal government shutdown. SNAP food assistance is flowing again, but many participants will have to abide by new work requirements.
“Normally, we couldn’t do something like this,” Woodbury mayor Anne Burt said. “It’s not really in our purview to be giving money to nonprofit organizations as a city; that’s not what we’re here to do, but because we have a Charitable Gambling fund, we were able to do it.”
The fund was created in August 2021, after the city redid its ordinance regarding charitable gambling.
“It is a very, very, very old ordinance, so it needed to be redone,” Burt said. “When we did, we opened up many more opportunities for charitable gambling to occur at bars or restaurants around the community.”
The fund uses proceeds from legal gambling activities like pull tabs. The money collected must then be used to support charitable initiatives and cannot be used for other kinds of city expenses.
Following the recent donation to Open Cupboard, the fund is estimated to stand at $107,000, according to the city.
Burt said the city council decides how to allocate the funds based on what kinds of needs the city has. She said funds could be used to help support things like public safety needs. The Open Cupboard donation happened to be the city’s first special request from an eligible organization, Burt said.
“Because the city had the funds that we were able to share out of our charitable gambling fund, we were more than happy to do that,” Burt said. “We also know that there are families in Woodbury that utilize Open Cupboard, and because they’re residents, that makes a difference as well.”
Washington and Ramsey counties also found money to support food shelves during the shutdown.
Burt said Woodbury is also hosting a winter food drive: Community members are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items at City Hall, 8301 Valley Creek Road, and M Health Fairview Sports Center, 4125 Radio Drive, through Dec. 5. Paper grocery bags are also needed.
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