Farmington widower's Halloween haunt combats food shelf shortages

Halloween display raises donations for food shelves

Jon Brimacomb, affectionately known as Mr. Halloween, has been transforming his yard into a Halloween spectacle for nearly 30 years. The Farmington Food Shelf benefits greatly from these efforts, receiving thousands of pounds of food donations each year.

FARMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A spooky Halloween display in Farmington is not only giving kids a fright but also supporting a vital cause.

Halloween haunt supports local food shelf

What we know:

Jon Brimacomb, affectionately known as Mr. Halloween, has been transforming his yard into a Halloween spectacle for nearly 30 years. His display includes Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, and tombstones, all behind 150 feet of cemetery fencing.

Farmington widower's Halloween haunt combats food shelf shortages

A Halloween display in Farmington supports the local food shelf with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of donations each year. Jon Brimacomb, known as Mr. Halloween, has been collecting food donations for years at the urging of his wife, Suzanne, who has since passed away. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the story.

Brimacomb's daughter and grandkids now help him with the display, which was originally inspired by his late wife, Suzanne.

"She said I was putting so much time and effort into the display that it would be kinda nice to see if we could collect food for the food shelf," Brimacomb told FOX 9.

The Farmington Food Shelf benefits greatly from these efforts, receiving thousands of pounds of food donations each year.

This year, the need is greater than ever, with food shelves across Minnesota setting records for distribution.

The backstory:

Suzanne Brimacomb passed away nearly six years ago, but her legacy lives on through Jon's continued dedication to the project.

In a single year, he has collected as much as 3,235 pounds of food.

The Farmington Food Shelf receives a weekly 3,000-pound delivery from Second Harvest Heartland, but supplies often dwindle by Thursday.

Challenges faced by local food shelves

What they're saying:

Karen Brownawell from the Farmington Food Shelf highlighted the growing need, stating, "The need just keeps growing and growing."

With SNAP benefits expected to shrink due to recent federal budget changes, food shelves are tightening their budgets in anticipation of increased demand.

Second Harvest Heartland notes that for every person the food banks and shelves can feed, SNAP feeds nine, indicating they cannot fill the gap if SNAP benefits are reduced.

However, collections like Jon's help alleviate some of the pressure locally.

What's next:

Jon Brimacomb will continue to collect food donations through Oct. 31. After Halloween, he plans to deliver the collected food to the Farmington Food Shelf, providing one last treat for those in need.

Find Mr. Halloween at 18657 Euclid, Farmington.

What we don't know:

• The exact impact of potential SNAP benefit cuts on local food shelves remains uncertain.
• How much food Jon Brimacomb will collect this year is yet to be determined.