George Gallagher's legacy of community

Megan Stone

In April of this year, the Minnehaha Food Shelf said farewell to its leader, George Gallagher, who retired after 20 plus years of service.

In 2002, the Minnehaha Food Shelf began as a kitchen ministry at Minnehaha United Methodist Church, and was a collaboration run by three churches: Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, St. James Episcopal and Minnehaha United Methodist Church. George became the manager some 20 years ago after serving on the board of Second Harvest Heartland and the Emergency Food Shelf Network (now known as The Food Group). George’s legacy of building community through providing food to neighbors will extend long after his retirement.

Volunteer and former board chair Anne Schieble began working with George after getting involved in the food shelf about 10 years ago. St. James Episcopal was looking to have representation on the board of directors for the food shelf, and having just retired, Anne stepped in to volunteer. Shortly after, she became board vice chair, followed by becoming the board chair for an additional two years. It was in this position she got to know and worked closely with George. As a new board president starting in early 2020, Anne highlighted the importance of needing to pivot and George’s ability to do so gracefully, while working at the food shelf as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Each week we were meeting with other food shelves and organizations, learning what others were doing and how they were protecting the clients and volunteers,” Anne said. She added that nearly each day, they were trying something new to respond to the needs during the height of the pandemic. During this time, George was actively listening and responding to the volunteers and clients, adapting based on the needs expressed, including partnering with the local senior organization to deliver food to home-based seniors during COVID. It is a partnership that has now expanded to approximately 30 homes in the area.

Whether it was the pandemic, increased demand due to population and demographic changes, or changes to space infrastructure, whatever the food shelf needed, George worked hard to provide it.

“He is a super hard worker, tireless.” Anne shared, explaining that George’s commitment to “always feeding people” never wavered. When the elevator at the church was under repair for several months, George created a chute to move food though the space for easy access. Due to space restrictions and increased food shelf usage, George built custom shopping carts to fit just right, maximizing space and accommodating the necessary food volume for shoppers.

When it became apparent the food preferences were changing based on demographic changes of people accessing the food shelf, the food shelf responded by changing to a choice-based model, where clients select their own food based on their needs, moving away from the long-standing pre-packed model.

Resourceful, with a strong logistical mind set, George prioritized sustainability and continued access to the food shelf.

Community is at the heart of the Minnehaha Food Shelf and George fostered this through relationship building, a sense of playfulness, and a commitment to equality. “He is always talking to people, he’s a real people person,” Anne explained. George worked alongside volunteers, many of whom were food shelf clients, and was consistently curious about people’s lives.

At the food shelf’s biggest fundraiser, a pasta dinner, George served as the emcee. “George is entertaining,” Anne stated. People from near and far came to the pasta dinner, in part, because of George’s personality, including Anne’s adult children. He knew how to work the crowd and how to connect with the community. In talking about George’s legacy, Anne shares her hope of a “continued sense of community.”

For George himself, his wish for the food shelf's future is to do more. “Expansion. Reach out and touch more people. Feed more people,” he shared. George is leaving the food shelf feeling confident that “we are doing the best job ever in our ability to reach people.”