Community Aid Elk River (CAER) Food Shelf

*According to the MN Emergency Food Shelf Network, 11% of the children served by Minnesota foodshelves are forced to skip a meal because there is not enough food at home and 43% of their parents skip meals too!!

*The number of people being served by the food shelves in Minnesota has risen an astounding 45% in the past four years.

*According to Second Harvest Heartland Surveys (click here to see full document), children are going hungry right here in Minnesota.

*An estimated 1 in 10 children in Minnesota lives in poverty and 1 in 3 qualifies for free and reduced lunches, based on low income guidelines.

*Last year, 2nd Harvest Food Bank distributed over 31 million pounds of food to their network of food shelves. It was a record year and even that level of food distribution was not enough.

*50% of the households that benefit from local foodshelves have at least one child under the age of 18.

*In 2007, there were more than 1.8 million visitors to local food shelves.

*The fastest group of food shelf clients are the working poor.....47% of those surveyed reported that paid employment is their major source of income.

*Over 1 in 10 seniors in the United States live in poverty.

Photo Credit: Flickr

If you live in and around Elk River, Minnesota (residents in Sherburne and bordering Wright and Anoka counties if in Elk River school district 728) and are in need of emergency assistance including food, clothing, household items and limited financial assistance, PLEASE do not hesitate to contact CAER via phone, the website, or by stopping in at the food distribution center.

ADDRESS:
CAER Food Shelf
19279 Watson Street NW
Elk River, MN 55330
Get Driving Directions

Phone:763-441-1020
Fax: 763-441-1377

HOURS of OPERATION:
M - W - F: 10 AM - 3 PM
M evening: 5 - 7 PM
Th evening: 6 - 8 PM

Website: www.caerfoodshelf.org

NOTE that ineligible persons will be referred to the appropriate food shelf or other agencies in their service area. There are food shelves in both Big Lake and Becker that serve many citizens in Sherburne county as well.

All households must be interviewed and complete an application with CAER staff in order to receive any services offered by CAER, including clothing and household. You will be required to have an address verification: a current bill or other mailing with your name, address and it must be dated within 30 days from the day you fill out the application.

CAER serves all persons regardless of age, creed, national origin, religious affiliations, gender, sexual preference, marital status, or disability.

Financial donations are THE most effective way to donate to CAER because they can purchase food directly from the Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank at DEEP discounts. For example, they can buy a gallon of milk for just $0.85, spaghetti sauce for $0.36 a jar, a dozen eggs for $0.28, and canned corn for just $0.13.

Financial donations also offer CAER flexibility in buying items that are most needed at any given time. In addition, cash can assist with purchasing urgently needed items, buying items that the second harvest food bank does not offer, covering overhead and staffing costs, and providing limited financial assistance for gas/rent/etc. to clients.

All cash donations are tax deductible in the U.S. as CAER is currently registered as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization with the IRS.

Click here to go to the CAER website and donate with a personal check or online through Paypal with a credit card or bank transfer.

CAER accepts all non-perishable food items in unopened containers. The great thing about direct food donations is that they are available for immediate distribution to CAER clients. They are always running short on the following items: Jello Gelatin, Pudding, French-style Green Beans and other canned vegetables, Regular & Instant Rice, Saltine Crackers, Coffee and Juice.

In addition to the above list, the following items are a great donation choice for any food shelf:
Spaghetti Sauce
Noodles/Pasta
Tomato Sauce/Canned Tomatoes
Canned Fruits
Macaroni & Cheese
Hamburger/Tuna Helper
Beef Stew/Chili
Tuna
Sugar
Flour
Dried Peas/Beans
Pancake Mix/Syrup
Cereal

CAER is ALWAYS in need of non-food items and personal hygiene products such as paper towels, toilet paper, feminine products, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, deodorant, Kleenex, etc.

CAER usually cannot purchase these items at deep discounts through Second Harvest so they depend solely on donations for distribution to clients.

Some other hygiene product donation ideas include razors, shaving cream, napkins, toothpaste, and bar soap.

CAER glady accepts gently used clothing that is washed and 'in-style'. They do not have storage space so they can only accept clothing when it is in season (e.g. coats-sweaters in winter).

Clothing of all sizes is needed from newborn baby through adult. CAER also accepts accessories such as belts, purses, scarves, etc and of course, gently used shoes of all types.

Because of the storage issue, they can accept some furniture, but if you let them know about household furniture that you have available, they can make matches to their clients for direct delivery to their home.

Volunteers are truly the backbone of CAER. They are always in need of volunteers to assist with food distribution, with the sorting and organization of donations such as food, and with other special projects throughout the year. During food drives such as the postal services stamp out hunger and the March campaign, CAER's volunteer needs increase dramatically.

Volunteers make all the difference to our neighbors in need! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact CAER at (763) 441-1020 during normal food distribution hours. Please consider what type of work you'd prefer, what days of the week and what hours so that the volunteer coordinator can make the best match to CAER's needs.

And for those of you that can't volunteer in Elk River, consider volunteering at your local homeless shelter or food shelf. It seems that most non-profits have a volunteer shortage so if you have some free time, use it to make a difference in someone's life!

Don't let your extras go to waste! Consider donating your excess fresh produce to the food shelf for distribution to the needy in your community. CAER (and most food shelves) recommend dropping produce donations early in the week so they can get it distributed before it deteriorates or spoils.

As you are planning and planting your gardens and crops this year, please consider "planting a row for CAER"! Last year many people donated their fresh fruits and vegetables to the CAER Food Shelf and they are hoping for that response again this year. The families that come to the food shelf in need of help with food are very grateful to receive fresh, wholesome, produce that is home grown by their own neighbors who care. Whether you plant an extra plant, an extra row, or donate your surplus, your donations are a precious commodity to many adults and children who must rely on their local food shelf for help in putting food on the table.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Another great way to get involved in the fight against hunger is to organize a food drive. This is particularly effective if you belong to a group where you can get a majority of the members to participate. When deciding on what type of food drive to hold, be sure to consider the make-up of your group, its size, and the interests of your members. They will likely be more proactive if you are collecting something that is of interest to them.

Here are several food drive ideas that have worked for others in the past:

Food Day (great for schools and work places) - choose a day for your food drive and then a fun alliterative food for the workers or kids to bring on that day. For instance, Macaroni Monday, Tuna Tuesday, Whole Grain Wednesday, Tampon Thursday, Fruity Friday or whatever you can come up with.

Kids for Kids Food Drive - ask kids to bring their favorite snack food in to donate to other kids in need.

Fill A Bag Food Drive - hand out bags from local grocery stores and ask the group members like church goers to bring the bag back filled up with groceries.

Meat The Need Food Drive - ask people to bring in canned meats.

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