A small idea — and the kindness of one Eden Prairie resident — resulted in 400 pounds of food and personal care items being donated to PROP Food Shelf last week.

Clarissa Schmieg said she knows what it is like to be hungry, having spent part of her childhood in poverty. After seeing uncertainty around SNAP benefits during the recent federal government shutdown, she and her husband, Brandon Fischer, wanted to make a difference in the community heading into the holiday season.

“I never want anyone to feel that. I don’t want people to know when their food is coming, when their clothes are coming,” Schmieg said. “And so I just knew that this was a community I wanted to be a part of and help.”

Schmieg said she and Fischer initially donated 190 pounds of food to PROP, but she didn’t want to stop there.

She is a member of TeamWomen, a nonprofit that supports and mentors women in their careers and lives. The group partners with PROP for an annual holiday diaper drive, and Schmieg hoped fellow members might be interested in further supporting the food shelf.

TeamWomen’s executive director, Katy Burke, encouraged her to move forward and send a message to the group. Schmieg also posted on Facebook asking for donations.

She said her mother inspired her to purchase meals and take care of her neighbors.

“My mom, she’s a big advocate for, like, if you’re going to complain about something, you better be the one to help fix it, too,” Schmieg said. “And so she very much was like, ‘You better walk the walk.’ And so when she found out that I was doing this, she also gave money to the cause, too.”

Schmieg and Fischer shopped at Aldi to gather ingredients for Thanksgiving meals to donate to PROP, she said. Aldi has a meal deal to purchase ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving meal that feeds 10 people for $40. 

The meal bundle includes traditional Thanksgiving dishes such as green bean casserole ingredients, vegetables, rolls and turkeys, Schmieg said. They also purchased ingredients for desserts — including pumpkin pie, scones, banana bread and apple bread — to match different family preferences.

Schmieg said they made modifications to the meal deal as needed to fit the needs of PROP and its clients. Instead of fresh dinner rolls, she and Fischer bought canned biscuits for their longer shelf life, and they chose smaller turkey breasts to accommodate families who may have smaller kitchens and can’t cook a large bird.

“We want people to feel a little bit more normal,” Schmieg said. 

Schmieg and Fischer also bought ingredients not included in the meal deal, like eggs and milk to supplement extra needs for different recipes, she said. They also purchased other necessities like diapers and period products in addition to food. 

In total, Schmieg said she and Fischer purchased 15 Thanksgiving meals, enough food to feed 150 people. Everything had to be transported in two cars.

When Schmeig contacted PROP about the donation, she had no idea how much food she could buy, but it was 15 meal deals.

“I had no clue it was going to be, like, 15 turkeys,” Schmeig said. “I had no idea.”

She said only two weeks passed between the idea of donating Thanksgiving meals and seeing it come to life.

“It was very fast,” she said. 

Prima Sisinni, PROP’s director of communications, said the food shelf prepares to stock holiday staples every year. PROP is anticipating greater need this season, she said, so donations like Clarissa’s are integral to making a meaningful difference in the community.

“Donations like Clarissa’s help us expand what we can provide, ensuring even more families have access to the ingredients they need for a special holiday meal,” Sisinni said. “Clarissa has been especially integral in mobilizing support from her network, and we are deeply grateful for her dedication and advocacy on behalf of our neighbors in need.”

Schmieg said that even though there is greater awareness of food insecurity now, it is a problem that has always been there and will not go away.

“I want to spread awareness, because even though SNAP exists, there are a lot of people who don’t get a lot of money with SNAP,” Schmieg said. “And even though Minnesota, they’re not going to allow SNAP to fall through, that doesn’t mean that food scarcity isn’t still a problem.”

Sisinni added that PROP is preparing for a mobile food distribution on Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the JCPenney parking lot at Eden Prairie Center, where clients will not need appointments. Donations from community members and help from volunteers ensure meat, produce and shelf staples are available to visitors while supplies last. 

“This outreach is essential as our appointments are fully booked through Thanksgiving week, and the need continues to grow,” Sisinni said. “Bringing food to the community allows us to serve more families during this critical time, and we are grateful for the support that makes this possible.”

More to read: As Eden Prairie organizations rally to address food insecurity, a range of local events and resources can help families in need.