COMMUNITY FUNDED SUPPORT. Menomonie Market Food Co-op recently awarded Sojourner House (618 S Barstow St., Eau Claire) through its Community Fund program. (Pictured left to right: Sojourner Shelter Coordinator, Lucas Kohls; MMFC General Manager, Crystal Halvorson; and MMFC Eau Claire Store Manager, Cassie Cattau)

Thanks to shoppers’ contributions and round-ups at the register, Menomonie Market Food Co-op (MMFC) was able to award a $2,000 check to downtown Eau Claire’s Sojourner House.

MMFC’s Community Fund program has been giving back to the Chippewa Valley area since 2018, with former nonprofit recipients including Stepping Stones of Dunn County and the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire. This year, the local co-op selected Sojourner House as its nonprofit awardee.

“(Sojourner House offers) space to sleep overnight, shower, wash clothes, and eat breakfast and dinner while ensuring their personal dignity, respect, and safety,” MMFC’s recent media release stated. “Last year Sojourner House saw just under 400 overnight guests for a total of 16,000 stays in 2024. This included 32,000 meals (16,000 breakfasts and 16,000 dinners).”

Sojourner House is currently the only year-round overnight shelter in the area. The organization largely relies on volunteers and community members for food prep, office assistance, space preparation for overnight guests, and other duties.

According to the release, Sojourner House’s greatest needs include checking out guests in the morning (6-8am) and preparing the building for the next evening (8-10am). The shelter also accepts material donations year-round. Right now, the shelter is in need of winter-appropriate jackets, hand warmers for guests, and blankets.

Learn more about Menomonie Market Food Co-op at www.mmfc.coop. More information about volunteering or donating to Sojourner House can be found at www.cclse.org/the-sojourner-house.