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Today's speaker was Jeff Dahlman, Executive Director at Kids In Need Minnesota. This organization operates a resource center in Roseville which provides a retail environment where teachers from eligible schools are invited to shop. Shelves are stocked with school supplies, office supplies, cleaning supplies, arts and crafts, books and more. Eligible schools are those with 70% or more of the student population participating in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program. There are currently 200 such schools in Minnesota. These shopping visits are free of charge. Their mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed in the classroom by providing supplies to students who otherwise could not afford them. This organization is supported by many local companies such as Target and 3M and also has many volunteers who help with things such as helping teachers fill backpacks with supplies and organizing drives to collect new materials for the resource center. This is a national organization -- there are 43 such centers across the country.