MINNEAPOLIS -- With schools around the state of Minnesota closed for the immediate future, the Twins made a $30,000 donation to The Sheridan Story, a local nonprofit, to help with a challenge drive on Wednesday aimed at making sure that children have access to meals throughout the ongoing pandemic of the novel coronavirus.

"So many children in our state rely on school meals as their daily source of food; with this supply disrupted as schools are closed to combat coronavirus, it is up to the community to step up and make sure no kid goes hungry," Twins president Dave St. Peter said in a statement. "In this time of incredible tumult and uncertainty, we are proud to join with The Sheridan Story and support their vision of Every Child, Every Meal."

The Sheridan Story is based in Roseville, Minn., and focuses on the food gaps created when children are unable to receive free and reduced meal programs at schools, according to the nonprofit's website. As part of the challenge drive, The Sheridan Story matched donations up to $125,000 on Wednesday and plans to prepare nearly 330,000 meals for children in Minnesota and western Wisconsin in the coming weeks.

"There's over 200,000 kids in Minnesota that live in food insecurity, and those kids and families, with schools shut down and their parents' and guardians' schedules upended, there's going to be a significant strain on resources," said Rob Williams, the executive director of The Sheridan Story. "With this funding, we're able to buy food and have it available in our communities throughout Minnesota, to make sure they have something to eat during this unsettling time."

Williams said that every donation of $100 can normally serve 25 children, and with the current match challenge supported by the Twins and other partners, that impact can be doubled. Schools around Minnesota were required to close by Wednesday and will remain shuttered until at least March 27, per an order issued by governor Tim Walz on Sunday.

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The Twins and the Twins Wives Organization have worked with The Sheridan Story in the past on food-packing events at Target Field and in the community.

"We have a good relationship with them," Williams said. "They're great partners. They really care about the community, and we're really excited that they've joined in this effort."

"My biggest thing that I want to get out to people that are feeling uncertainty and instability is that we here in Minnesota, we are here at The Sheridan Story and other organizations are here," he continued. "We're doing things to support our kids and our families. The biggest asset that we have as an organization and as the state of Minnesota is being able to rally together and work together to solve significant problems just like this."

Donations can be made at thesheridanstory.org/coronavirus, where the organization has outlined its plan in response to the ongoing pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Twins had joined Major League Baseball and the 29 other clubs in announcing a pledge of at least $1 million per team to cover lost wages for ballpark employees that are temporarily out of work due to the postponement of the MLB regular season for at least eight weeks.

"The Twins family extends beyond our players and staff, and includes all those who help make Target Field the best experience in baseball," read a statement from the team. "To help those in our family most affected in these challenging and uncertain times, we are pledging at least $1 million to support our gameday staff."