The Minnesota Community Foundation and The St. Paul Foundation have put $2 million into a new Community Economic Relief fund to help those suffering through the hard economic times.

They say they're funding "strategic projects with specific nonprofits that have capacity to reach thousands of people who are desperately in need of support."

In practical terms, that means they're using the money to support other agencies that provide:

• Hunger Relief: efforts that support the increased numbers of adults and children accessing food shelves and banks. For example, Emergency Foodshelf Network has received a grant for its Fare For All Express program to help families stretch their monthly food budgets, increasing the number of people who can receive quality groceries at discounted prices.
• Housing Stability: programs to prevent foreclosure, find people stable housing and avoid homelessness. The Fund, for example, will help increase the number of people served at Home Ownership Center, an organization that provides housing assistance to families who lose their homes to foreclosure, as well as offering counseling to families who are preparing to purchase a foreclosed home.
• Financial Counseling and Assistance: programs that provide people with guidance about budgeting, debt relief and avoiding bankruptcy. AccountAbility Minnesota received funding to expand the number of people supported through its service to help low-income working families increase income by maximizing tax benefits and credits available to them.

“The economic downturn has had a broad and deep impact on Minnesotans,” said Carleen Rhodes, president of Minnesota Community Foundation and The St. Paul Foundation. “Many people who have never before struggled with homelessness or hunger are now facing the same issues as traditionally low-income populations.”

Groups they're working with so far include:

• Emergency Foodshelf Network, Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Second Harvest Heartland for hunger relief.
• Dakota County Social Services, The Family Place, Home Ownership Center Financial Counseling and Assistance for housing stability.
• AccountAbility Minnesota for financial counseling.