Donate Food & Goods – Community Emergency Services

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At CES we strive to provide the communities we serve with equitable access to healthy and familiar foods.

Our goal is to provide varieties that best meet the needs of all our neighbors. We operate in a culturally diverse neighborhood, with visitors who self-identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), White, and Asian; including immigrant families from East Africa, West Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Therefore many of our high need items are culturally specific foods!

We rely on food donations from individuals, faith-communities, businesses and schools, along with financial donations and grant funding, to help keep our shelves stocked. These donations make it possible to provide healthy, sustainable, and culturally connected access to food.

Please consider partnering with us in giving intentionally.

These items are always accepted!

FOOD

COOKING & BAKING

Oils (vegetable/olive), Sugar, Wheat flour, Maseca Flour, Spices (Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chilli Powder, Cumin, Turmeric, Ginger, Curry Powder), Honey, Fish Sauce

CANNED & JARRED

Jar Pasta Sauce, Meat Chilis and Beef Stews, Hearty/Chunky Soups, Peanut Butter, Applesauce, Canned Vegetables, Canned Fruits, Canned Tuna and Sardines, Diced Tomatoes (plain), Canned Hominy

DRY GOODS

Pasta, Rice Noodles, White Rice, Dry Lentils, Dry Black Beans, Dry Black-Eyed Peas, Dry Great Northern Beans, Instant Oatmeal, Ramen noodles (Chicken Flavor), Cereal, Snack Crackers

BEVERAGES

Small Bags Ground Coffee, Black Tea, Shelf Stable Almond Milk & Coconut Milk, Fruit Juices

GOODS

HYGINE & CLEANING

Paper Products (Toilet Paper, Paper towels & Tissues), Dish Soap, Laundry detergent (smaller bottles or pods), Shampoo & Conditioner (neutral scents), Body Wash & Bar Soaps (unscented, mild or neutral scents preferred), Hair oils & Creams for textured, curly, and natural hair types, Menstrual Products, Toothpaste & Toothbrushes, Deodorant, Shave Cream & Razors

BABY PRODUCTS

Diapers, Baby Wipes, Small Jars of Baby Food

PET SUPPLIES

Cat and Dog Food, Litter, Cans of Friskies & Fancy Feast Cat Food

SEASONAL CLOTHING

New and gently used winter jackets, gloves, hats and scarves -- only accepted during the Fall and Winter months.

JEAN'S CLOSET - HOME GOODS

Table Setting: Utensils, plates, bowls, glassware, cups/mugs Kitchen: pots, frying pans, baking pans/sheets, serving spoons, flippers/spatulas, can openers, cutting knives, mixing bowls, pot holders, dish towels and dish cloths. Bath: bath towels, wash cloths, hand towels Bedding: Sheet sets (Queen, Double, Single),Pillows (prefer new) and pillow cases, blankets

Jean’s Closet was started by one of our faithful volunteers, Jean Anderson, who noticed . Families in need of bedding, towels, or cooking tools can request items, and we do our best to fulfill requests based on our supply.

Due to limited space, we cannot accept items outside of this list. Please consider donating other items including clothing to Central Lutheran Church’s Free Store , Sabathani Community Center’s Clothing Closet, or Marie Sandvik Center.

Donations are accepted Monday – Friday (weekends by appointment): Please use the call box to the left of the front glass doors and someone will assist you.

For donations of 20 or more grocery bags, we ask that you set-up a drop-off appointment by calling 612-870-1125 or by emailing info@cesmn.org.

Single Item Donation Drives:

At times, it is very helpful for us to receive a large quantity of one type of food item. This is especially helpful for our Home Delivery Program where we pre-pack groceries with foods that many of our neighbors enjoy such as sugar, cooking oil, rice, and pasta sauce. Contact us to learn more about how a Single-Item Donation drive can help meet one of our current needs (info@cesmn.org).

Items we are NOT able to accept:

Extra-large cans or bulk-sized foods
Opened packages or partially used foods
Expired food
Homemade foods or baked goods

Due to food safety regulations, we are unable to accept perishable items such as meat, eggs, dairy, frozen meals, or deli foods unless they are from a licensed business.

We DO, however, accept fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread.