The world of food access is shifting — and fast.
Federal funding is uncertain. Demand remains high. Operations grow more complex by the year. And inside food shelves across the state, some of the most dedicated people in this work are quietly preparing to hand over the keys.
People like Barry Schull at Fruit of the Vine Food Shelf — are beginning to imagine what retirement looks like and who will carry forward the work they’ve spent years building.
Volunteer rosters turn over. Leadership changes hands. And through all of it, the work of getting food to people who need it cannot pause. That’s exactly where FFEN comes in.
When Schull began leading the food shelf five years ago his predecessor handed him an onboarding document that included contact information for Katie Bull, FFEN’s program director. He reached out and got support in creating a new floor plan for the food shelf, funding for refrigerators and signage and help identifying how their budget could shift to focus on providing fresh produce, proteins, milk and eggs.
“When I first started, I wasn’t all that confident in operations,” Schull said. “FFEN was there to provide guidance on what other food shelves are doing – otherwise you’re just kind of making it up as you go.”
Schull said FFEN helped to create consistency while implementing the basic operational pieces needed to become SuperShelf certified. SuperShelf is a specific kind of food shelf transformation designed by FFEN’s partners at University of Minnesota Extension.
Now, Schull is thinking about how to create success for the person who comes after him and said a connection to FFEN will be integral in making that transition.
Kate Burggraff said transitions are an opportunity to assess what’s working well and strengthen what isn’t.
“Transitions in leadership aren’t disruptions — they’re decision points,” Burggraff said. “That’s why having the right support in place before a change happens matters so much.”
The numbers tell a striking story. According to the 2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey, 100 of the state’s food shelf managers are new to their role in the last three years and are still in that critical early stage of leadership: learning the job, setting priorities, onboarding staff and volunteers, and finding their footing. Thirty-five percent of those managers surveyed are volunteers with no paid staff at all.
At the same time, 17% of food shelf managers across the state have been with their programs 15 years or more and for many, like Schull, retirement is on the horizon.
When a new coordinator joins a food shelf and needs to understand the landscape quickly, FFEN’s trainings provide accelerated onboarding and foundation for a strong handoff.
“We bring context and history to the table,” Burggraff said. “We help incoming staff find their footing so they have what they need to successfully lead their organizations.”
Food shelves across the network say it the same way: when something big is changing, FFEN is who they call first:
“FFEN is where I go when I’m awkwardly figuring out how to be a new food shelf leader – How do I work with my board? How do I bring volunteers along when things change? How do I handle the HR stuff no one prepared me for? The mentorship, the affirmation, having someone who will genuinely listen — the value of that kind of support is hard to quantify but it’s one of the most valuable things FFEN offers.”
– Sharon Abel, Groveland Emergency Food Shelf
“I was new to hunger relief work and when I started there was always pressure to operate in emergency mode. Through a FFEN cohort I had the opportunity to step back to ask why we do what we do — and how we can do it better for the people we serve — that’s where the real growth happens. I was able to explore new ideas, meet colleagues, and get a clearer sense of what we’re actually building toward.”
– Tracy Rahim, Minnesota State College Southeast, Winona and Red Wing.
“FFEN is such an incredible resource, it’s the most amazing group of leaders I know…they are strong and supportive and I’m so glad to have a place to turn to for resources and support. FFEN helped me grow as a leader and aspire to help our food shelf be the best it can be.”
– Susan Oddsen, Program Manager at La Crescent Food Shelf.
