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Second Harvest Heartland offers food in Brooklyn Park
During the holiday season, it’s more important than ever to donate time to your community.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — As the holidays come up and cold weather sets in, it’s more important than ever to make sure food is on the table.
Second Harvest Heartland is helping metro area residents in need through their food shelf in Brooklyn Park. The nonprofit launched “Make Hunger History,” which aims to cut hunger in half by 2030 for Minnesotans.
To meet this goal, Second Harvest Heartland is requesting community members to volunteer at their local food shelf, petition elected officials to make hunger a priority, and financially donate if they have the ability.
Allison O’Toole, the CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more about this goal.
If you need food for you and your family, call or text 866-844-3663 or click this link to see food shelves near you.
By buying a game or coffee, you can support a great cause this weekend.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Supporting your trans neighbors can be as simple as buying a cup of coffee.
Lodestone Coffee and Games is teaming up with Trans Lifeline to raise money to connect transgender people to resources, community and support. Lodestone – located in Minnetonka – sells coffee and games, and proceeds from both will go toward Trans Lifeline on Saturday, Dec. 21 and Sunday, Dec. 22.
Trans Lifeline offers a hotline, guides for trans people and loved ones, and supportive community outlets. Click here to check out more.
Mike Hawthorne, co-owner of Lodestone, and Maria Bartholdi, a game podcast host, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more about this fundraiser.
Even if you’re just outside for 15 minutes, you can be susceptible.
MINNEAPOLIS — Whether you’re walking to work or waiting for the bus, the cold weather can be pretty damaging if you don’t know the signs of danger.
Frostbite can set in quickly — within 30 minutes if the temperature is below 0 degrees — according to HealthPartners. If temperatures exceed -15 degrees, you can get frostbite within 15 minutes.
So, how do you know if you’re developing frostbite?
The CDC reports that redness and pain in any skin area is usually the first indicator that frostbite is setting in. That can be followed by white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels firm or waxy and numbness.
Kids are more susceptible to frostbite, so make sure your child wears lots of layers and takes frequent indoor breaks if playing outside.
Take action immediately if you notice any of the aforementioned signs in yourself or another person and get into a warm room — and seek medical attention — as soon as possible.
The CDC also recommends removing wet clothing and warming up under dry layers of blankets and clothes. You should also place your frostbitten skin in warm water — not hot.
Do not rub any areas with frostbite or walk on feet or toes with frostbite. The CDC also recommends avoiding warming up with a heating pad or by a fireplace, radiator or stove, as you can accidentally burn yourself.
In your Breakdown: the retirement age is being pushed back again in 2025 and there is a smaller cost of living adjustment coming than last year.
NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown: the retirement age is being pushed back again in 2025 and there is a smaller cost of living adjustment coming than last year.
Starting in January, the “full retirement age” will be 66 years and 10 months old for those born in 1959. For those born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age will be 67 or later.
The full retirement age – or FRA – has been inching higher and higher, based on your birth year, since an act by Congress in 1983. That’s when lawmakers changed the program to adjust for longer life expectancies.
Here’s what that means for you.
People born in 1959 will begin qualifying for full retirement benefits next November.
You can claim benefits early, but you’ll get about 30 percent less than if you wait for your full retirement age.
Now, about that Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA.
Starting in January, millions of people who receive social security checks will see a 2.5 percent increase. That’s about $50 for most people.
This is the smallest cost of living adjustment since 2021. Last year, it was 3.2 percent. The SSA says this is in response to cooling inflation.
If you’re curious when you qualify for your full benefits you can use this calculator.
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