Hennepin County deputies deliver the goods, handing out food on the job

Volunteers from a local nonprofit pack food boxes that Hennepin County, Minn. sheriff's deputies will deliver while on duty. Photo by Jon Collins, Minnesota Public Radio news. (C) 2015 Minnesota Public Radio. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lately it seems that every other week brings bad news about friction between police and the public.

The Hennepin County, Minn. Sheriff 's Office is presenting a kinder, gentler face of law enforce ment through a new partnership to distribute healthy foods to those in need.

Working with the nonprofit, Matter, deputies hand out food boxes while on patrol in Minne apolis and throughout the county.

"Our deputies are out every day, walking beats, answering 911 calls around the county, coming in contact with individuals kids, adults, some less fortunate than others," said Sheriff Richard W. Stanek, "and this gives them another unique opportunity to engage them in conversation and leave with a good interaction between local law enforcement and the public."

Joe Newhouse is director of public engagement for Matter, which sought a partner in its effort to combat "food insecurity." He said their light-bulb moment came after a recent community needs assessment. One key finding was "a real need to reach people and connect them with healthy food." This was especially true of some urban and low-income areas. New house's colleague, Quenton Marty, president of Matter, said in some parts of the county you might find 15 fast food restaurants within a five-block radius. "With limited mobility and resources, [people are] going to gravitate toward the food that's closest to them," he explained, "which tends to be over-processed, high in sodium and sugar."

Newhouse said the assessment also pointed to the need to reach people in nontraditional ways and connect with them outside of exist ing means of distribution, such as food pantries.

"We started looking at the people that were kind of on the front lines, and police officers and sheriffs definitely fit that category," he said.

There are three types of food boxes available, one family-sized, a breakfast box and a lunch box. The breakfast box consists of six indi vidually packed meals, including instant oatmeal, a "healthy" granola bar and a juice box. A lunch might include packaged tuna, crackers, an apple and some type of vegetable, Matter officials said.

Another county entity, the Hennepin County Medical Center, helped the nonprofit determine which foods to include with advice from its diabetes team dieticians, Newhouse said. The boxes also include educational material such the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate literature, which recommends the food groups and portions that constitute a nutri tionally sound diet.

So far, it appears that the partner ship will be a double-win, benefiting Matter and the Sheriff 's Office.

"When we can link with the sheriff 's department, there's a level of credibility that's established for us with this program," Marty said. "We hope on the other side there's maybe a win in it for the sheriff 's department," he added, acknowledging some of the recent unflattering characterizations of law enforcement officers.

Stanek certainly sees it as a plus. "We practice the philosophy of community-oriented policing. This is just another step or piece of that," he said.

"I think it's a unique partnership with a nonprofit first and second responders; it fits right in. We're proud of it."