Food Drive Profile: Dick Mumbleau, volunteer extraordinaire
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The Salvation Army’s Meals 4 Minnesota Food Drive is supported by kindhearted people like Dick Mumbleau – a food shelf volunteer who goes above and beyond, year after year.
Dick is a retired St. Paul school teacher. After spending decades impacting the lives of hundreds of children, he has spent the past 18 years impacting the lives of thousands of families who don't have enough food to eat. He’s a regular food shelf volunteer at West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul, where several days a week he picks up food donations from local grocery stores, organizes food, and gives food to local families.
“The food boxes can get a little heavy sometimes, but I’m still healthy enough to do it,” joked Dick, who has also spent time volunteering for The Salvation Army as a bell ringer, in prison ministry, and in other capacities.
Dick’s reason for being a food shelf volunteer is simple: “There’s a need for it,” he said. “There are people everywhere who need food, and this is an easy thing I can do to help them.”
His help is greatly appreciated – especially at the West 7th Salvation Army, one of our busiest food shelves in Minnesota. Every week, hundreds of people come to receive boxes of fresh produce, meat, bread, and nonperishable items supplied by your donations and our partners.
The West 7th Salvation Army was even busier during the COVID-19 pandemic, skyrocketing to 50,000 food boxes served annually. Prior to the pandemic, it served about 7,500 boxes per year.
Dick served throughout the pandemic and witnessed many sobering sights.
“During COVID there were people driving up in fancy cars who’d been crushed by the pandemic,” he recalled. “At one time they were doing well – maybe even donating to The Salvation Army – and now they were the ones who needed food.”
The biggest reason that Dick enjoys being a food shelf volunteer is because he gets to witness firsthand the impact he’s making.
“With some volunteer activities you don’t see the end product—but with this one, you really do,” he said. “I’ll pick up food donations from a Cub grocery store, and an hour later, I’m watching somebody take the food home.”
Dick's wife, Jane, often joins him in volunteering. In 2020 they were named Family Volunteer of the Year by The Salvation Army Northern Division.
How to Help
Please support The Salvation Army’s Annual Food Drive by donating nonperishables, hosting a food drive, giving a cash donation, volunteering, or rounding up at Cub grocery stores. Your generosity will fill the stomachs of Minnesotans hungry for help.
Donate food in the Twin Cities by dropping off nonperishables such as pasta, peanut butter, and canned goods Feb. 27–March 27 at your local Salvation Army or at these partner locations:
Donate food in greater Minnesota by dropping off nonperishable foods Feb. 27–March 27 at your local Salvation Army Worship and Service Center.
Donate online: Help us feed local families by giving online. Your donation will be used to purchase food for Salvation Army food pantries nearest to your billing ZIP code. Now through March 27, your gift will have twice the impact for hungry Minnesota families thanks to a $100,000 challenge match given by a local family foundation to encourage others to give.
Round up at Cub: Shop at local Cub grocery stores in March and round up your purchase to support our food drive. Any amount you give will have a big impact when combined with other Cub shoppers who choose to contribute.
Host a food drive: Collect nonperishable foods from friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and others. Drop off the food you collect at your local Salvation Army or our partner locations. Download a Food Drive toolkit.
Volunteer: Do you have time to spare? Support our food drive by helping us unload delivery vehicles, weigh food, stock shelves, and more. Sign up to volunteer.
To learn more about The Salvation Army's Annual Food Drive, please visit Meals4MN.org.