With food shelves overwhelmed and food stamp benefits ending on Nov. 1, a couple that owns a restaurant in Hastings, Minnesota, decided they couldn't just watch.

At Lock and Dam Eatery, the restaurant will soon be serving a different kind of meal, meant to ease the burden of hunger. The restaurant's owners posted a message to Facebook offering to feed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipient families for free on Tuesdays in November.

"I just truly think there are so many in need," said Jennifer Melecio, who co-owns the eatery. "I also think there are so many that want to help, and we just have to find a way to do it."

That community spirit couldn't come at a more critical time. Blocks away, Hastings Family Service, which operates the local food shelf says need has sky

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