Fighting Food Insecurity in Carver County with Patti Sinykin, executive Director | Bountiful Basket Food Shelf

Food insecurity is surging in Carver County—and it doesn’t look the way you might think. In this powerful conversation, Bountiful Basket Executive Director Patti Sinykin reveals why demand has jumped 72% in just one year, who’s really walking through their doors, and what it takes to serve 9,615 people annually with dignity and compassion.

You’ll discover:

• Why hunger exists in one of Minnesota’s most prosperous counties
• How the “super shelf” grocery store model restores dignity to families in crisis
• The real faces behind food insecurity—teachers, neighbors, families just like yours
• Why Bountiful Basket serves anyone who walks through their doors, no income requirements
• How 3,000 pounds of food goes out daily (and what that actually looks like)
• The community resource navigator helping families beyond just food
• How you can help—whether through volunteering, food drives, or donations

Patti shares heartbreaking and hopeful stories: the teacher who drove to another city so his students wouldn’t see him, the woman who lived in Chaska 30 years before learning help existed, the family that went from stable to struggling in just one month.

With locations in Chaska and Cologne, Bountiful Basket isn’t just feeding people—they’re building community, restoring hope, and proving that kindness matters.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:Bountiful Basket Food Shelf: bountifulbasket.orgPhone: (952) 448-9117Chaska Location: 1951 Park Place BoulevardCologne Location: 125 Village Parkway

TOP NEEDS: Cereal, hearty soups, crackers, volunteers (especially in Cologne)

Living in Carver County Podcast – Connecting friends, building community through conversations with the people who make Carver County the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Host: Greg Anderson, licensed real estate professional serving Chaska, Chanhassen, Victoria, Waconia, and Carver County since 1985.

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