Every day across Minnesota, thousands of people place their trust in community organizations when the math at home no longer adds up.

They trust that a food shelf will be there when the cost of groceries is higher than expected. They trust a volunteer will treat them with dignity. They trust that a local organization will help them find a way forward when circumstances — often beyond their control — leave a gap in the budget. 

That trust is built one interaction at a time. 

Last year, Minnesotans made more than 9 million visits to food shelves, the highest number ever recorded. Behind that number are millions of individual decisions: a parent figuring out how to put the same groceries on the table with fewer SNAP dollars, a family absorbing a steep increase in health insurance premiums, or a worker watching groceries, gas and energy bills rise faster than their paycheck.

Across our organizations, we are seeing those decisions firsthand: brand-new shoppers across all program areas, folks returning after months not needing us, requests for services beyond food help, like housing, clothing and other basic needs. 

The circumstances vary, but the underlying math is familiar. And when that math stops working, people turn to places they know will be there for them. That is one of the most meaningful and clearest measures of trust.

Trust isn’t bestowed by a tax status or government contract, nor should it be. It is earned by showing up consistently. It’s earned when a shopper knows they can walk into a food shelf without having to prove their situation is bad enough to deserve help. It’s earned when a volunteer gives three hours on a Saturday knowing their time will be put to good use. It’s earned when a donor can see what their support makes possible. And it’s earned when community partners know they can count on one another to help people navigate difficult circumstances.

That kind of trust matters enormously right now. 

Minnesota’s food shelves are already operating at historic levels, while changes to SNAP are putting additional pressure on households and the charitable food system. Food shelves can help fill gaps, but they cannot simply replace the nation’s largest food assistance program when benefits are reduced or people lose access.

Yet when a gap opens in a household budget, people still need to eat. 

So local organizations respond. 

Food is purchased and rescued. Volunteers sort, stock and distribute it. Farmers, retailers and distributors share what they can. Donors give. Community organizations connect people with resources. Together, we welcome the next person who walks through the door.

Accountability is part of that work, too. 

When wrongdoing occurs, it should be investigated and have consequences. Public dollars should be protected. Organizations that receive public support should be transparent about how resources are used and what they accomplish.

Accountability is strongest when it is grounded in evidence and targeted to actual risks. We should be able to distinguish between documented wrongdoing and broad suspicion, and between organizations that have violated public trust and the many organizations that are working hard every day to earn it. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits has similarly called for oversight focused on documented vulnerabilities rather than broad restrictions on programs.

Trust and accountability are not opposing values. In fact, they depend on each other. People trust organizations that are willing to be accountable. Organizations earn that trust by being transparent, responsible and consistent — and by continuing to show up when the need is greatest.

Minnesota doesn’t have to choose between accountability and trust. But as we debate whom and what to trust, we should pay attention to the people showing us where they already place theirs.

Millions of times a year, Minnesotans walk through the doors of local food shelves because the math at home no longer works. They are telling us something, not only about the financial pressure families are under, but about the community organizations they trust to help them through it.

We should listen to them. And we should make sure the places they trust to help them through this moment can keep showing up.

Jessica Francis is executive director of Open Cupboard, which provides free food through four food-access programs serving the communities of Oakdale and Maplewood and shoppers from more than 300 zip codes. Tracy Maki is CEO of Valley Outreach, a Stillwater-based nonprofit providing food, clothing and personalized support primarily to people in Washington and Ramsey counties. Perry Petersen is executive director of White Bear Area Food Shelf, which provides food through two locations and 28 mobile markets, schools, and community partner sites.