Bloomington Slumberland to host Salvation Army food collection

The Salvation Army is holding a pop-up food collection at the Slumberland furniture store in Bloomington this Saturday, March 25, between 1-3 p.m.

The event is part of the Salvation Army’s 2 Million Pounds food drive and will feature U of M mascot Goldy Gopher as a special guest.

This month-long drive has collected 1.3 million pounds of food so far and aims to restock shelves in the organization’s nine metro areas.

“We’re seeing more people come to our food shelves than even during the pandemic,” said Lt. Colonel Dan Jennings, Salvation Army Northern Division commander. “That’s why this food drive is so important, because so many parents are counting on us to help feed their families.”

RELATED: Salvation Army begins month-long food drive in the Twin Cities

According to the Salvation Army, 5.5 million Minnesotans visited food shelves in 2022 — a 45% increase from 2020.

This year’s drive hopes to exceed last year’s total of 2.2 million pounds, which was believed to be the largest food drive ever in the Twin Cities.

Aside from the drop-off location at Bloomington Slumberland, there are over 100 Salvation Army drop-off locations around the Twin Cities.