Duluth Salvation Army Helps Distribute 60,000 Italian Dinners

On Feb. 16 the Duluth Salvation Army helped distribute an entire semi-truck full of frozen Italian dinners donated by famed local businessman Jeno Paulucci, owner of Bellisio Foods Inc.

The Salvation Army and representatives from food shelves, churches and other social services agencies in the Duluth area each got their share of 30,000 Michelina’s® frozen Italian dinners. Another 30,000 of the dinners were sent to Hibbing and surrounding communities.

Paulucci gave a similar donation in September 2008.

“Things haven’t gotten much better up here since then,” said Carol Perkins, food services supervisor for the Duluth Salvation Army. “Definitely more people in need. We’re very thankful and grateful that (Paulucci) thinks about us. This helped a lot of people who are in a tight spot.”

The Duluth Salvation Army, itself, is in a tight spot. In the past year:
• Food shelf use is up 13 percent.
• Hot meal program attendance has gone from 80 people a day to more than 140.
• An extra $15,000 per month is needed to keep up with demand of all the facility’s services.

In Duluth, “Many two-income families are down to one income or none,” said Envoy Alan Carlson, Duluth Salvation Army administrator. “We have past donors who are now new unemployed workers signing up for help. Some have never been in this situation before in their adult life, and they are worried.

“(Jeno Paulucci) has always been so gracious to us and to our community,” Carlson continued. “We highly value his friendship, wisdom and heart for people in the Northern Range of Minnesota.”